Rivals
by Tainted - Klelthin
Summary: When a deathmatch between Purple Heart and Black Heart is interrupted by an unknown third party, the two are thrust together in an effort to survive in the coming days of conflict and change. Through political and physical struggle, will a bond form between the two, or will they fall to the coming chaos? [On-hold for the time being.]
1. Prelude

**Heyo everyone, Tainted here with what is turning out to be a new idea that expanded into a short adventure/romance-friendship story. This, as expected of my usual habits, _did indeed_ start out with the intentions to be simply a Nepoire fic, though, considering how it's turning out... I might drag this out and advance with a full, intricate plot. Give me a bit of feedback if you feel there's improvements to be made or things left unclear.**

 **Set specifically from the POVs of Black Heart and Purple Heart - in a Superdimension-style world setting where CPUs exist solely in HDD form with their names only serving as a personal thing outside of their title as [Color] Heart.**

 **I'll stop the commentary here, and instead continue it at the bottom - for now, do enjoy the experience. :)**

* * *

"This time, you _die_ , Purple Heart!"

I swing horizontally, dashing toward her figure with my eyes narrowed and my attention centered on the rapidly approaching form of _her_. She clicks her tongue, bracing her blade to block as the sound of metal on metal clangs into the distance. Clicking my tongue in irritation, I struggle to try and overpower her while our blades are locked, smirking as I quickly pivot on my heel, bringing my leg up in a sweep… only for her to use her spare hand to bat it away, knocking me off balance as I have to hurriedly kick off into the air with my other foot before she swipes where I had been.

"You will _never_ defeat me like this, Black Heart. Give up!" she shouts as I land, brandishing her weapon in my direction as I laugh in satisfaction.

"Says you, Purple Heart. Only time will prove that _I_ am the most fit for title of True Goddess, now be a good girl… _and die!_ " I bellow, raising my weapon for another attempt, grinning. She pauses, her expression unreadable as she runs a hand through her hair, sighing. "Something wrong? Getting tired?"

"No, but this endeavor is foolish in of itself, and yet you _still_ insist on that ridiculous claim, as well. How petty," she remarks, her lips curving upward subtly whilst I narrow my eyes, cocking an eyebrow. "Let your weapon be more bite than your bark, and perhaps we will see if you have even a modicum of chance to defeat me in one-on-one battle."

I laugh once more, brushing away some hair. "Like I'd give anyone the satisfaction or do myself the dishonor of letting you be defeated by anything but my hands alone. Green Heart and White Heart are small-fry after you fall."

"Hah!" she responds, positioning herself for a rush. "Your arrogance will be your undoing!" Suddenly, she kicks off the ground as dirt specks fly behind her, her black-and-purple form hurtling toward me. Gritting my teeth, I block a thrust and stagger backward as she flips, landing backward. Reacting subconsciously, I duck under her blade as she stabs at me again and sweep a leg under her feet, my shin connecting as she trips, gasping as she falls. "Ah! You…!"

"You're not the only one with some expertise in hand-to-hand!" I exclaim, slicing diagonally, disarming her as she growls, pulling herself from close proximity with her arms as she slides backward. "Get back here and face your defeat like a good little girl, Purple Heart!"

"I shall never fall to the likes of you!" she answers, jumping to her feet as her head swivels in search of her blade. "Where has my weapon… hah?!" Her eyes widen, and I flick my attention in the direction of where she is staring… to see a figure fleeing into the trees with her weapon. "Come back here, you coward! Ah…!" her attention shifts to me skeptically, and I sigh, shrugging.

"Go retrieve your weapon. I told you I would have no intervention for either side."

"...Thank you, but I will not owe you for this," she states boldly, nodding to me before departing in pursuit of the interloper, leaving me to ponder for a few moments.

Strange. This is… Celestia, is it not? The only ones typically capable of approaching this land are the four of us, though I do not personally believe even White Heart or Green Heart to be so cowardly and underhanded as to steal another Goddess' weapon in the middle of a duel. So… who? A fifth CPU? Impossible.

Growling to my left draws my attention as I raise an eyebrow to see a large wolf of some sort appearing from the shadows of the forest surrounding this clearing. It snarls, baring its fangs as I click my tongue in distaste, brushing away some loose hair once more. I can't personally understand what has caused this shift in Celestia's normal rules, but... I smirk. I will never back down from a foe, after all.

Taking a step forward, the wolf seems caught off-guard by my offensive initiative, giving me ample time to easily slice it into nothingness… in time for another three to appear, alongside six or seven dogoo. "What the hell? What sort of idiotic strategy is this? Were you even prepared to face me? These things are weaklings!" I shout, activating a skill as I round them up, dicing them apart in a 12-pointed pincer attack as I slide to a halt, shaking my head. "Whichever cowards have intentionally disrupted our duel, show yourselves so that I might have your head while I await Purple Heart's return." And yet, silence aside from something small scurrying away. Irritated, I cut down another wolf that appeared, and then another, and then another as I click my tongue. "Tch, so this is how you… wait… could this be a distraction?"

Averting my gaze to the forest edge brimming with low-tier monsters, I peer in the direction of where Purple Heart departed, and if I focus hard enough… I hear the clang of metal and the grunts of that pain in the ass. This was a diversion, and _she_ was the main target? Affronted by this tactical assault, I huff and float toward the source of the current scuffle, weaving through the trees in search of the mysterious fool who will soon suffer my wrath. Just _where_ are they…

"Gah!" Purple Heart's muffled voice suddenly sounds, and I hear her collide hard with something as my eyebrows raise. She's _losing_? Then she has yet to retrieve her weapon? Deciding to quicken my search now, I try to listen more intently, growing ever annoyed by my inability to find them. Are they hiding somewhere…? Gently lowering myself to the ground, I focus but can't get a read on where they are. It's not specifically coming from any direction. Goddess damn it, at this rate, I'll be unable to intervene in the affairs of whoever underestimated me. Taking a breath, I brace myself for the slight wound to my pride.

"Purple Heart, where are you? Speak… so that we may rid of this annoying pest to return to bigger predicaments!" I shout, wording my exclamation carefully so as to lessen the stain on my dignity - being unable to find them is shameful, but having to ask is even insulting.

"Black Heart…?! Where...? Oh… I'm below! Ah!" The ground tremors as something slams harshly against something else, and then the ground shakes. That 'something' is presumably Purple Heart as she just went dead silent. Okay, so, there's a _cave_ in Celestia? Even though I am doubtful, I shift my attention to the ground beneath me and hear what sounds like laughter. Huh, so there _is_ a cave down there, then. I raise myself into the sky before diving heel-first into the soil, crashing through it…

...to arrive in what seems to be a space that has been shaped in great detail to resemble a medieval arena. I whistle, impressed by the meticulous planning of this strange assassin, becoming more and more curious as to their identity. Though, perhaps I can be inquisitive and investigate later, since for now…

A gigantic machine of considerable size and visual ferocity stands before a beaten and ragged Purple Heart - who, unsurprisingly, still lacks her weapon - with a figure standing in the shadows above us. She claps, shaking her head. "So, the second foolish CPU finally found the first - but how much can you do now that Purple Heart has fallen?" Her voice is older, and somewhat grating - worse than Green Heart's, by leagues.

"I don't know who you might be, old hag, but I see no reason as to why I should be deterred that Purple Heart lost when in an unarmed situation. Unfortunately for you, your stupid mobs-and-adds tactic didn't have a chance to faze me too much besides being a minor hindrance. Perhaps you should put more thought into your cowardly methods."

"O-o-old hag?! So, he failed to take your weapon... No matter, you insolent trash, I will enjoy listening to the Killachine's eradication of you and that pesky Planeptune CPU," she yells, pointing a finger at me. "Killachine, destroy this interloper. Purple Heart can wait."

"Hah, like it'll even _have a chance!_ " I answer with confidence, leaping toward the giant bot, placing a boot firmly in its face as it rattles backward. Landing on a rock behind it, I smirk and turn. "Come on, then. What is this slow hunk of junk compared to the greatest of the four CPUs?"

"Hooh?" the hag mumbles, watching from afar.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue… eh?" The robot suddenly whirls around, charging while swinging that massive axe straight at me as I instinctively duck, sliding downward whilst hearing the utter _crushing_ of stone behind me. Glancing up, there aren't even any remains, it's just compacted. My eyes widen as I howl at her, irritated. "What the hell's that about? You think you can interrupt me?"

"Haah... of course I can. I'm the villain, you pompous white-haired idiot. Killachine, kill her."

"UNDERSTOOD, TERMINATION IN PROGRESS," its robotic voice crackles, the tremendous chunk of steel attacking me once more as I roll out of the way, kicking off of the stone to try and slice through it… only to be _blocked?!_

"Kuh?! So… fast!" I remark as I am easily batted back to the ground, frowning as the woman on the rock scoffs at my inability to win. Ugh, so annoying! The thing buzzes, making it clear it's going to attack, and as I brace myself to dodge again, my foot bumps into something soft. I gasp as I notice Purple Heart beside me. "...Ah, crap! You idiot, why did you have to be knocked out in _this_ part of the cave?! Ah!" I exclaim, seeing the weapon coming down. Clicking my tongue, I instinctively scoop her up, dashing to the left as the axe clips the back of my leg, and I scream in pain. Staggering, I throw her carelessly into one of the more remote parts of this arena, pivoting on my other heel to step sideways away from an executioner-style swing that leaves yet another crater in the stone. Hell, that was _too_ close. Skidding to a halt, I shake my head, noticing the robot seems to have stopped for a moment. Odd... could it have cognitive thought? Wait, damn it, not the time to think about this. Narrowing my eyes on the hulking menace, I brandish my blade as a building sense of dismay wells in my stomach. I can't rely on brute force with this wound now, and this cave's too small for a battle of attrition... Ugh, what to do, what to do…?

"Ah… you really did… throw me over here? How… considerate," Purple Heart coughs out, staggering to her feet as she eyes the robotic monstrosity. Ah, she's actually still coherent. That's fortunate to some extent for the both of us. She holds her cut-up arm with a grimace, staring at this hag's creation. "If only I had my blade… this would be simple…!"

Yeah, if she had her weapon, this wouldn't be as bad, though, the robot's master continues waving it around while explaining our defeat. Ah, crap, axe! Dodging again, I blink. Axe... axe... ah, idea! Alright, I wonder if this thing recognizes collateral friendly fire. Worth a shot, right? Smirking at the robot, I force myself to ignore the pain in my leg as I taunt the machine. "Come on then, you piece of scrap. Let's dance. Purple Heart… can you fight?"

"...Of course. I will not accept a defeat lying down. I just need my blade," she says as she administers some healing lotion to herself, shifting uneasily. While I hate needing help, and she may not be a _huge_ help in her current condition, she should at least serve as good bait or a flank for us to be able to hack this thing apart. So then, I just need to figure out the sword problem to turn the tide.

Backstepping as the robot begins to pursue me once more, I grit my teeth as it easily closes the distance repeatedly... but, once again, I sort of feel like it did so in a pattern. Could this thing work on a set algorithm on how to control combat? That would explain the sudden outbursts by the stranger on the rock whenever the hunk of junk stops for a moment or five. Well... figuring it better than nothing since we're making no progress anyway, I count the time for the thing to adjust to swing at me, its movement speed, and those few seconds spent calculating… and as I expected, it actually _might_ function on a specific combat input. Maybe something like... Stop, defend-and-adjust position, attack, pause, attack, defend, repeat... I think. I try to lead it around over and over, observing the different possibilities and room for different inputs, but I don't find anything out of the ordinary. Now pretty sure that I'm not wrong, I carefully lead it back to the wall between the various cycles to where the hag has stood, continuing to spew confident and obnoxious statements of her victory and our demise until now. Well, this is the best shot I've currently got... Grinning, I hop upward as the time for it to swing comes, laughing as she howls in surprise…

"You will never defeat… haaah?! What are you... No! You bit…!" she cuts off as the machine's weapon collides with her abdomen, Purple Heart's katana flying out of her hands while she goes spiraling into one of the upper walls. Hurriedly, I fly toward it and snatch it out of the air, eluding yet another swing.

"Purple Heart, you _do_ owe me for this, now… _here!_ " I lob her weapon at her, watching as she calmly grabs it from the hilt, spinning it flashily in her hand as she brings it to her side. "If you're done showing off…," I start, barely evading another swing as debris clips my arm. My eyes water briefly, my attention focused on the violet CPU, "...Then get in here and play bait so I can wipe it out!"

"Hah, you are already its main designation, so _you_ must play the bait. Allow me to finish this creation off once and for all!" she exclaims, rushing toward us as I brace my blade to try and block the humongous axe, closing my eyes in preparation. This is about to hurt, isn't it? She's not going to be fast enough, and _I have to block this._ Goddess, I didn't really need this today. "Black Heart! Duck and roll!" Prying my eyes open, my body seems to answer her command as I drop to the ground unceremoniously, observing as sparks fly while her katana connects, cleaving the robot in two. The axe begins to fall from its malfunctioning arm, and I dive hurriedly, seeing it fall with an unmistakable crunch within centimeters of my leg. Ooh... oh wow. That one was a _bit_ too close for comfort. Shifting my attention back to the bot, it buzzes and whirs, stating numerous errors as a light begins to glow inside its chest area, and I raise an arm to cover my eyes… and it explodes.

Purple Heart lands beside me after the light fades, sighing while wiping her brow before collapsing onto her backside. Out of habit, I force myself to my feet and step away from her, wincing as my body reminds me of my prior wound that is now a bloody mess. Grabbing some medical supplies from a pouch on my hip, I begin performing first aid on myself while scrutinizing her. Her blue eyes roll over onto me and she smirks tiredly, shaking her head. "I won't... be attacking you in my current condition, so no need to be... so jumpy. Though… do you see that strange woman?"

"...No, actually. I don't. Did she somehow get away while that thing was putting on a light show?" I inquire, noticing a gaping hole to the surface in the wall from where she was sent flying. "Ah, strike that. The robot scored a homerun from the start."

"How… fortunate. I'm afraid I might be… spent, for a small time," she states, her body swaying slightly. She smiles at me, her expression strangely unreadable. "If you wouldn't mind, please assist me once more… so that we may escape from this cave. I know that it seems disadvantageous for you, but I am about to black out, so please." I open my mouth to object, but the look on her face paralyzes any bitter intent on my end.

"...Fine, but don't think this makes us allies. Come here," I say, letting her wrap an arm around my shoulder as she pulls close, pressing… "...H-hey, stop doing that."

"I'm… afraid I don't understand. I'm just… trying to lean on you," she answers, and her tone is genuine, so this warm feeling isn't… Ugh, no, Noire, these thoughts _aren't_ necessary. This is your enemy, and this is just a normal problem for women… that aren't White Heart. "...I hope… the other two were not working with that woman."

"...Eh? Oh, ah, uh, if they were, they _might_ have had a chance against us just now, but… I think even _they_ have a code of honor. Anyway, come on, I'm taking us out of here now, but try and fly with me. You're heavier than you look." Of course, I lied about that - both White Heart and Green Heart have shown they're more ruthless if it meant getting ahead, so attacking us now wouldn't be disadvantageous nor shaming due to a lack of witnesses.

"That's so rude, you know," she coughs out, nuzzling closer much to my dismay, her grip on me tightening to stabilize herself as we lift off from the stone floor - taking care to dematerialize our weapons to make for easier flight, too, of course, now that they are both in our care - whilst she wheezes softly into my ear. This is unbearably unpleasant.

"You know, for my bitter rival, you're pretty damn careless," I say after a few minutes, trying to get my mind off of her pressed against me. "What if I decided to kill you here and now?"

Her blue eyes settle on me as she lifts an eyebrow, her expression showing amusement. "You… saved me just to kill me afterward? That's a bit silly."

"It _is_ , but I don't understand why you trust me, to be honest. We're enemies, aren't we?" I say, feeling a sudden shift in my indomitable spirit. What the hell is this? "We're eternally fighting for the title of True Goddess, so wouldn't it be… better to eliminate one another?"

"...Hahaha. You sound… unsure, now, Black Heart. If that's how you really feel… I have no energy to stop you, right now," she says, pulling herself even closer to me, which shouldn't even be physically possible. Crap, so warm.

"...Bah. As if I could kill you when you're so weak and vulnerable all of a sudden. Stop making this difficult - you're supposed to be annoyingly arrogant, and stop looking at me with those puppy-dog eyes," I say, bringing us into a secluded part of the forest, sure now that even if those other two _are_ helping that hag, that we will have time to recover. "Though… perhaps, we have bigger problems right now."

Her eyes weakly move to focus on mine, a smile on her soft, inviting lips-Aaah! No, no, no! "You… finally seem to understand our current situation."

"O-of course I do. Why wouldn't I? I'm not an idiot," I cough, trying desperately to recover my composure. "So, what are you going to do now?"

"I… might take a moment to rest here. Could you... join me? I must admit… I am somewhat intimidated of being left alone in this current state," she says, and if I didn't know this woman for years, I _swear_ I'd feel she was never a threat to begin with. Furrowing my brow, I sigh, eyeing her. "I won't… do anything bizarre or underhanded. We may have… to work together, for the indefinite future, anyways…"

"...Tch, you're really annoying when you're like this. Get rested soon or you'll be wasting both of our time," I say in reluctance as I cross my arms, averting my attention from her form… until she pats the ground beside her whilst propping herself up against a tree. "...E-eh? T-the hell's that about?"

"...Come sit with me, then, please. It's… a reassurance."

"I'm… beginning to trust you even less…," her eyes stare at me, trembling softly, and for a moment, I notice a fear in her gaze that she quickly covers over with fatigue, "...ah, jeez, fine, fine! I'll do it, but I've got my eyes on you."

"That's… okay. I don't mind," she answers softly, smiling in satisfaction as I gingerly lower myself to sit beside her. "...Thank you, Black Heart. I… am going to rest now."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Just… eh?!" I jump, her head falling onto my shoulder, one of those lengthy purple braids colliding with some loose hair of mine. I stare at it for a moment, and then her, noticing she's already passed out, and feel my face flush. "... _Goddddess_. I will _so_ kill you after this is all said and done," I mutter to myself, leaning my head back. Wait a minute, that braid… came undone, didn't it? I blink, surprised - it seems to be one of her greatest focuses to keep those things in good condition, even in the midst of battle. She cares a lot about them, huh? Flicking my attention to her, I bite my lip contemplatively, staring at the hair, curious. How does she even do these, anyway…?

Well, she's already asleep. I suppose I can sit here and try to figure it out without worrying about things too much… right? She'll probably not wake up… hopefully. If she does, I can just kill her. Yeah.

Yeah. Stop worrying yourself, Noire. Nothing strange about this. At all…

...How do purple and white look together… I wonder?

* * *

 **That wraps up this little snippet introduction, and I am pretty confident that I nailed the personalities and flow pretty well. I think I have an adequate handle on combat as well, though I'm also not accustomed to writing it from a CPU perspective - it's a bit wonky when you think about it, balancing out the flying and damage in a game where it's all based on numbers and ground combat... _yet they have wings/flight capability. Whaaat._**

 **After giving it a bit of thought, about two hours after I actually first intended to upload this, I think I'm going to make this into a full-length story of sorts. Why not?**

 **Toss me some thoughts, some opinions, and some feedback - the next segment will be in PH POV with considerably more length, depth and events. I ought to toss out fair warnings - PHxBH is a highly likely thing, PH is far more serious than Neptune, I don't really intend for too many meta references or jokes, annnnd... yeah! 'Bout it. Hope you all enjoy it, and whatever comes when I can update this later today or tomorrow with something stellar.**

Tainted out for now.~

 _and if that last bit doesn't describe a plausible backstory behind the creation of the picture i use for my avatar, i don't know what will. i still love that picture as one of the most adorable nepoire pictures i have ever stumbled upon._

personal note; i have now revised this about seven times to add and take away bits and pieces. why must fine-tuning be such a cruel mistress?


	2. On the Way to Planeptune

**Here we are with the current first real segment to UP! Now, in Purple Heart's POV! Yeah!**

 **Couple things to note, answer or say here; the last segment's final sentence, 'purple and white' refers to hair-color. I know more than one person will be a bit misled by it, and I personally consider White Heart's hair to be blue, so. ;) Also, the tactical reasoning of the 'old hag' was due to a couple unforeseen interventions that will be noted later on within the story. After all, Celestia doesn't really follow conventional rules, now does it? And finally... keep an eye on Purple Heart's way of speaking from time to time! I _think_ I might leave her habit of poor phrasing and poor decision-making as a running joke. Their personalities and speech might also be a bit easier to differentiate, now, so hopefully that checked out, too!**

 **This pertains to PH's waking up, the planning stage of what the duo will do now, and the beginning of the journey that follows after they have a set goal in mind. It's a bit of a slow wind-up, but, I'm also intent on dragging it out because it's just more fun to. No real action or combat in this part, but there is a little... 'plot'? ;D**

 **Anyway, I won't sit and drag out my little intro. I hope you enjoy this, I'll catch ya' at the bottom. Onward!**

* * *

As I feel my consciousness return to me, I stir uncomfortably due to my body reminding me of the beating I took earlier alongside being forced to fight regardless of said wounds. I yawn, still feeling a bit better than before… at least, more well-rested, really. Opening my eyes slowly, I peer about, soaking in this current base of operations, and that, well… I'm actually working together with the one person I could never see an alliance forming with. Raising my head, I notice it's quiet - she's nowhere to be found. Did she depart, or did she go off to find help… or perhaps… a betrayal? Pursing my lips, I push myself to my feet despite my limbs' reluctance, checking over my form. I remember applying lotion to try and numb the pain for defeating that robot, but… what are these strange herbs rubbed against the torn openings in my suit? I sniff them, and they don't seem particularly dangerous, but they're so _slimy_. Eegh.

...Ah? I blink, noticing my left braid seems… haphazardly created, to put it nicely. It is quite a bit more sloppy than my style, but it appears that Black Heart wished to fix my hair while I slept. If one could state this act as _peculiar_ , that would be putting it nicely, but then again… Black Heart has always come off as different from White Heart and Green Heart - particularly, her obsession in our rivalry. Should I worry that she will attack me if we meet again, even now? Is our partnership through?

And… more importantly, why did that woman wish my death? And why did she come with such a peculiarly inadequate robot? I'm sure she could have brought more to subdue us than one wonky creation. Unless… Celestia hindered her? Or perhaps she underestimated Black Heart? A difficult query. Sighing, I realize that this brainstorming won't help me any without more answers, so I suppose my only options are to either wait for Black Heart's return to gauge the waters between us, or to depart in search of information. And even _that_ is a pointed decision - put faith in the woman that has wanted to eradicate me above all else for decades, centuries even, or take my luck braving the coming battles alone.

In truth, I am not stupid. I see how fighting by myself worked out against that Killachine. What even was _that_ , as well? It didn't look anything like any of Planeptune's technology, and Lowee is out of date. That leaves either Leanbox or Lastation, and since it attacked Black Heart… Assumably, Green Heart is in partnership with that odd woman. Troubling.

The hum of a CPU's flight ability approaches, and I narrow my eyes, ducking behind a tree whilst concealing myself as best I can, investigating. Whoever this may be, I will soon see and then make my decision to stay or depart. However, subconsciously, my intuition seems spot on as Black Heart sets herself onto the forest floor, her flowing snow-colored hair flipping carelessly as her head swivels around, her eyes widening.

"She left? Not exactly wholly unreasonable, given our previous circumstances, but…," she sighs, shaking her head. "The moron won't last a Goddess-damned minute on her own at the moment. Idiot."

I blink, watching her frown, sitting down against one of many trees, stretching her legs out tiredly. In her arms, a bundle of herbs and supplies, her eyes somewhat fatigued and worn out. Has she been foraging and creating supplies since I fell asleep? Or is this a lure…? Haah, only one way to find out, really…

Standing up, I approach from my hiding spot, watching Black Heart's eyes instinctively shift to the source of my coming, her body immediately braced for a battle. I blink, holding up my hands in both surprise and amazement - the woman has far better reaction time than I even first credited her over the many scuffles in our history. Her eyes settle on me, widening before narrowing as she sighs, shaking her head, her posture slackening. Glaring unimpressively at me, she frowns disapprovingly.

"You done pretending to be another sudden intruder?" she asks, rolling her eyes as I smile awkwardly. "Before we hash out whatever talk is going to come, sit down somewhere so I can finish patching those gashes and bruises up. You'll need to be recovering sooner rather than later, since assumedly, our position looks somewhat bleak right now."

"...Alright, then I suppose you intend no harm?" I inquire, studying her expression as she blinks, raising an eyebrow. "I must check to know whether or not you are truly friend or foe."

"Of _course_ I'm not going to kill you. Not right now, at least. I may want to settle our rivalry after all of our ties, but I'm not stupid. We have someone after our lives who can somehow enter Celestia, summon monster hordes, has accomplices we have yet to discover, and now I can feel that someone is slowly draining our shares. That about sum it up? Sit down already, I'm getting bored of holding all of this."

I stare at her in surprise, stunned to an extent. She speaks so… casually, now that I'm coherently aware of my surroundings. How odd, considering her personality and behavior, however, "That's not necessarily reassuring, and what do you mean, 'draining our shares?'"

"Exactly as it sounds. If you're awake long enough, you'll feel your limbs and reaction speed getting slower bit by bit. It's not acutely noticeable, but it is reason for concern. Now, for Goddess' sakes, _sit the hell down so I can get this over with_ ," she says in a commanding and irritated tone, her eyes ordering me to comply. I laugh nervously and awkwardly, nodding as I finally concede to her, settling down at the tree I rested against as she stumbles to her feet, slowly approaching. Her leg seems… better, but still a hindrance, judging by her pace and caution in walking.

"You really did get injured, saving me from an untimely end, then. Thank…"

"Don't even mention it, we don't need this weird sappy crap right now. I already finally recovered from whatever weird mood you were in before you went to sleep, so I'd appreciate it if we could just go about our business as usual. And also, don't stare at me so much. It's a little unsettling," she remarks, shaking her head as her cheeks flush ever-so-slightly, and it makes me curious as to what I managed to do to embarrass her. She sets about, lifting my arms and legs one by one, applying strangely-colored and somewhat foul-smelling ointments onto my skin that briefly tickle or prickle and then twist into a comfortable, soothing experience. I blink, staring at her as she works meticulously to properly cover each of my wounds, smiling gently. Her eyes flick up now and then, and I can tell that my attention on her seems to fluster her as she coughs. "What now? Stop staring at me like that, it's uncomfortable."

"I suppose I must offer you my thanks, in sincerity, Black Heart," I say softly, nodding to her as she cocks her eyebrows. "I do appreciate it, even if you say not to mention it. After all, I would be… likely dead."

"See, that's why you shouldn't mention it," she grumbles, her lips downturned. "I saved you because I made a point of stating that the only one that gets to kill you or defeat you is me, and I wasn't going to let some stupid robot break that vow. Don't think it was highly sentimental or some crap, I simply didn't want to let our rivalry end by that old hag getting what she wanted."

Isn't that sentimentality of itself, though, in a strange way…? I attempt to nod and smile as if I understand, but I really do not, to be frank. She notices this, I presume, as she huffs and just grumbles to let it go before pausing, staring at my abdomen. Offering her a curious and somewhat nervous look, she frowns, gesturing to the cuts and marks welting on the central parts of my suit. My eyes shift from myself to her hands, laden with slimy, sticky oils that sort of tickle and hurt when applied, and I try to pull away… but remember I'm against a tree.

She smirks at this, seemingly delighted and unaware of her own embarrassment as she leans closer, smoothing her hands over me. I gasp and wince, writhing at the feeling of… the ticklish experience, of course. She chuckles, watching me bite back the urge to let out shameful sounds as my face reddens while I hold it in, and after minutes later - where I personally believe she intentionally dragged it out to behold such an embarrassing sight - she draws back, wiping her hands on her leg, applying the last bits of the ointment to herself before rubbing her hands on the tree behind me.

"You're vile, Black Heart," I say, panting slightly, breathing heavily in an attempt to recompose myself. She grins, shrugging innocently as she leans back, yawning. Ah…, "Did you ever get any rest? How long had I been sleeping?"

"About two hours, and no, I did not. I had to ensure you wouldn't pass on while sleeping since a lot of those wounds were pretty damn serious. Try not to go headbutting weapons for a little while, and you should be a bit better to function by tomorrow, alright?"

"...Alright, I will do my best to follow your advice then, I suppose. Though, what do we do now, might I ask?" I inquire, watching her shrug, frowning. "Then… you have no ideas…?"

"I have quite a few, actually, but none of them are easy. You can even make a checklist out of them - check on our nations, check on Lowee's movements, check on Leanbox's movements, figure out where that robot came from, figure out what is sapping our shares, figure out who all is opposing us and plotting against us, find that old hag, beat the crap out of everyone that gets in our way, and add any additional tasks as they pop up. Sound about right, Purple?"

"...Purple?"

"Yeah, since I think saying the 'Heart' part is redundant and just an unnecessary mouthful when it's you and I. Unless, you want to be as formal as we both make ourselves seem? I figured I could ease off, considering it was you, but if not, that's…"

"No, no, that's perfectly fine," I smile at her, seeing her expression shift for a minute before tilting her head away, nodding. "Alright, then, Black - I suppose we are truly in… an alliance, then?"

"...So it seems that way. Don't stab me, Purple, since I _think_ our grudge match will have to wait," she answers warily, facing me once more with an expression mirroring her inner concerns.

"I would not betray a true ally so easily, I think you will learn. I am more concerned that _you_ may wish to do away with me before this partnership ends," I respond, biting my lip contemplatively. Come on, follow the flow and agree to a wholehearted truce…!

Her eyes widen and she groans, quickly stating, "Stop doing that with your lip... But, I have no intentions of ending an alliance for petty reasons, and since an assassination of a partner would be shameful, I could never live it down or allow it in our agreement anyway. The only way I will battle you is a one-on-one duel, so stop painting me as the villain, already."

I clap my hands together, smiling in satisfaction. "Excellent! I am glad, then. That's a relief off my shoulders. Should I offer you a warm hug?"

"D-d-don't you even _dare_ come near me for something like that. I _will_ kill you," she threatens, sliding backward with her eyes narrowed skeptically. I hold my hands up, smiling still, while her expression falls flat, assumably to refocus the conversation's flow. "A-anyway. Shall we make our way to Celestia's edge? How should we go about checking on our nations?"

"The both of us could stop by either or first. I do not mind whichever," I remark, earning a dumbfounded gasp from Black Heart. "What seems to be the issue with that?"

"While I somewhat anticipated you would say that, I didn't think you _actually_ would. You really see no harm in one previously-hostile CPU strolling around the nation with the patron CPU?" she asks, her expression genuinely curious.

"...No? We are allies now, are we not? Planeptune and Lastation may even both prosper further if we were to bridge the divide between the nations," I state flatly, wondering if she suffers from a lack of comrades to begin with. "Black, might I ask…?"

"If you're going to inquire about my incredulous and isolated nature, don't. Lastation isn't as warm and huggy-kissy as your nation is rumored to be. We're progress-and-achievement-oriented, yet understand that cooperation and teamwork brings about greater success than individual effort. Though, no, we don't usually have many friends, I suppose you could say."

"...Do you want me to be your friend, then? That sounded like an excuse."

"...S-shut up, it's not _that_ important. Just… Are we heading to Planeptune or Lastation? Choose, damn it."

"Hmm…," I ponder, weighing out the current situation. Technically, Lastation will be a longer trip as Black Heart's connections and technological divisions may be capable of more in giving us answers, whereas Planeptune will be a quick sitrep for both external and internal activity. I doubt we will discover much. Nodding to myself, I narrow my eyes while pulling myself to my feet, stretching more comfortably now that the ointment is beginning to work itself onto me. "Logically, Planeptune will be a less important trip, so we likely ought to stop there first."

" _Less important?_ What's that mean?" she inquires, her face mirroring surprise.

"Planeptune does not have the same resources and assets that Lastation does - to figure out more about that… Killachine creation, and to better ascertain the threats we may face and if a door to Celestia is even remotely possible, Lastation will likely have a better chance at bringing answers to these inquiries, if I am not mistaken," I answer, frowning. "I may not like to admit it, especially amongst the other CPUs, but no, Planeptune is only slightly more advanced than Lowee."

"That's almost heart wrenchingly pathetic, really. Almost. If we actually end up working together as long-term companions, I will have Lastation give you some of our older equipment for study and framework to allow Planeptune to work from. Does that work?" she says, crossing her arms while we set forth to float quietly through the forest.

"You would do that?" My eyebrows arch upward, somewhat disbelieving.

"Not like we utilize it anymore anyway, so it just clutters up our old research centers. In fact, it might open up room for further development after we have a moment's time to rest, really."

"...Then, yes, I do admit, I would not mind accepting your kind offer. It may be able to escalate Planeptune into a realm of competition to rival Leanbox, at least."

She laughs, nodding. "Definitely, since it's Lastation's gift. As long as you never go Lowee's style of all-ages-are-welcome, I _think_ Planeptune has a chance to defeat Leanbox with your weird style of… retro gaming, I suppose you could say."

"They are quite enjoyable games, albeit a bit old in graphics. I am sure we could release something better if we had better technology, but our researchers simply lack the basis to work from that other nations seem to."

"Truthfully, it's mostly just other nations taking from either Lowee's ideas, or Lastation's tech. Leanbox is pretty much a copycat in most areas, that caters to an even smaller section of gamers… and men with a lack of taste in women."

"...I can personally agree with you, however, perhaps we are also not ones to speak so offensively against the 'motherly' Green Heart."

"...Haaah, perhaps."

"Regardless," I say as we reach the end of the forest, appearing in the wide expanse of Celestia, whose gentle blue skies and extravagant rainbows and brilliant color contrasts seem to welcome us with a gentle wind. I smile, holding my hand over my braids to stop them from being muddled with, watching the grass sway peacefully. "It seems we have reached the end of the forest. Do you have any idea as to which part of Celestia we are currently in?"

She pauses, landing on the ground as she brings a hand to her chin, rubbing it thoughtfully. Pacing around, she gazes off toward one of the edges of the landmass, nodding. Spinning to look at me, she points off to my right. "We're where it would dump out into Lastation. Planeptune should be below us in that direction. At least, I'm pretty sure."

"...Alright, then I suppose we ought to head that way," I state, floating along the grassy plain, watching her walk after me. "Why are you walking, though?"

"Conserving energy and ensuring I'll be mobile should we get attacked. I don't tend to mind flight-based combat, but it drains my energy faster than fighting on foot. Call it a personal precaution," she points out matter-of-factly, shrugging. "Though, I don't know about you, so I won't interject."

"Hmm… perhaps I will adhere to your advice. Though…"

"If you ask me to help support you, I might end up ditching you, you know?" she cuts in, her face reddening again for some reason. It's almost kind of cute, really, though I still don't understand the source behind her embarrassment. Did I do something in a half-conscious stupor? I don't believe myself to be so shameful, though…

"No, I will not force that on you, though if I seem to be falling or swooning…," I trail off, watching her reluctantly nod and sigh, bringing her arms closer against herself as she averts her eyes, looking ahead. "...Thank you, Black."

"...Sure, sure. Goddess, you really are more dependent than I first pegged you," she mutters as I set myself gently onto the ground, walking behind her. The two of us continue along the green expanse toward the horizon for a few minutes in silence with Black Heart continually peering backward to check on me, with me nodding to confirm I'm still alright. She eventually breaks the silence, saying, "You know, you portray yourself as invincible and indomitable as I do, maybe even more so, and yet… you're like a little kid, now that we're actually talking."

"That's rather rude. I simply know when to put my faith in someone else and drop my guard a little, seemingly… unlike you, it appears." She huffs, shrugging. "That's not necessarily an insult, either - being a trusting person can be somewhat dangerous."

"If you call 'trusting' hiding behind a bush from someone who brought you medical supplies, yeah, maybe you could be considered trusting. Admit it, you're just a little bit of the clingy type."

"You would have experience with that, wouldn't you?" I retort with a smirk, watching her freeze as she whirls around, shooting me a threatening look. "What's wrong? Did I possibly hit upon something…"

"You're one word away from ending up on your ass, Purple," she growls, her cheeks betraying her attempted threatening demeanor. I chuckle, shaking my head as she huffs, pivoting on her heel to continue walking ahead, now slightly faster.

"Aah… could you possibly slow down a bit? It hurts to go this fast," I remark, and I see her shudder. What might that be about? Her pace slackens and she allows me to catch up in the short distance she created as I lean on her shoulder slightly. "Thank you, Black."

"You're not even saying things like that on purpose, are you…?"

"What do you mean?"

"...Nevermind. Anyway, let's get to the edge so we can get on with this. I think I've had enough of your clinging for a little while. Come on," she says, urging forward as I frown, wrapping my arm around hers while pulling a little closer to make supporting myself on her easier. "...Ughhh… w-what the hell are you doing now..."

"...Hm? Supporting myself…?"

"...R-right. Of course."

We continue on in silence until we reach the end of the Celestia landmass, both of us peering over the side into the cloudy expanse below us. Squinting, I can barely make out the main tower of Planeptune, which if I recall, I designated as my Basilicom base of operations last I was in the mortal realm. The rest of the city is clouded by the blanket of clouds, meaning we have to be careful in gauging where to land.

"Any idea how much energy you have left?" Black Heart inquires, finally shattering the silence as she flicks her eyes over onto me. "I should be able to land without any problems, but how about you?"

I close my eyes, focusing my attention on how I feel physically, attempting to check how well my share energy will hold up. Weakened and fatigued, but not wounded anymore, so that's passable. Mind and consciousness are in perfect condition, so that's nominal. Emotions are stabilized, so I should be safe there. Share energy… is fluctuating slightly. "I'm… mostly sure that I will be able to make this flight without any large-scale problems."

"...Mostly sure? Large-scale problems? You're not filling me with confidence here."

"I told you the results of my self-analysis. I will make due with the current parameters just fine. If I seem about to fall, I will ensure I aim for you, alright?"

"...Oh, great. Ugh, fine. I already have a feeling I know how this will go, but fine. Let's just get my misery over with."

"...Hm? I don't follow."

"Don't worry about it. Ready?" she asks, and I nod. Stepping away from one another, we engage our flight systems as our bodies become weightless, and I smile. I can never truly adjust to how enjoyable it is to feel light as a feather and fly wherever at my leisure. Such a handy ability. "Alright, let's get going, Purple."

"Understood. I recommend that you lead the way." She nods as we soar forward, the ground leaving beneath us as we stare down into the massive open abyss below us. I gulp quietly, pondering the possibility of escaping from beneath those bottom clouds, and what may lurk beneath - Planeptune's records describe the world beneath our main world as something dark or to be feared, a true taste of mortality beneath our nations. It even exists as a folktale for parents to scare their children into behaving with, I have heard - misbehaving children are sent into the land beneath the clouds. Unsettling.

My eyes fall onto Black Heart as she flies ahead of me, and I smile softly to myself, content. I never truly felt the need to become the singular Goddess of the world, and always yearned for a plausible camaraderie to build between the four of us, though I never anticipated it was a possibility of any kind, and yet here we are. She is far more pleasant than I had expected, and is almost rather fun to tease and talk to - a genuinely kind-hearted girl under that fierce, abrasive, arrogant persona that she projects. While the situation may be dire, I do not mind its appearance if it may bridge the gap between us, even a minute amount. Perhaps one day, all four of us could be…

"Hey, Purple, are we landing in the city or outside of it?" Black Heart's voice calls out, and I widen my eyes, focusing on her. She glances back at me, raising an eyebrow. "Well? Don't tell me you don't really know where to land."

"Ah, no, I was just lost in thought. My apologies… But, perhaps we ought to aim for the outskirts of the city walls, so that we may have time to prepare our public explanation for our sudden partnership, as my Basilicom may be rather wary of you."

"I expected as much, though do you even know what you might want to say to them? This _is_ a peculiar matter, after all." I shake my head, and she sighs. "Well, we'll wing it, then. Come on, I can see the greenery of Planeptune below us. Try _not_ to lose control of your flight ability, alright?"

"Of course, I do not know why you would insinuate… ah," I remark, noticing a sudden fatigue washing over me as my share energy levels cannot continue to support my current usage levels. Blinking, I gaze at Black Heart's flowing white hair, smiling nervously and awkwardly. "...Black?"

"...Yeah, I'll catch you. Hold on," she says, sighing tiredly as she soars underneath me quite a considerable distance, spinning around to float backwards, her arms extended outward. "Try to land _in_ my arms, and not overshoot your fall, alright? You can do this, Calamity Queen."

"I don't appreciate that nickname," I grumble, and she smirks, shrugging nonchalantly. Narrowing my eyes, I feel my flight systems disengage entirely as gravity reclaims me. Angling my fall toward Black Heart, I smile awkwardly in apology to which she shrugs. "I'm sor…"

"Don't even say it, just carefully fall…," she trails off as she collides with the ground, gasping in surprise as she turns to look at it before facing me, a look of dismay, embarrassment and fatigue written all over her face. "Well, this was expected," she mutters as I collide with her, using her to break my fall.

"...Aah, that was uncomfortable… e-eh?" I say, pulling myself upward while rubbing my back, feeling something warm breathing out against me. My face flushes as I peer down to find Black Heart staring uncomfortably up at me, her face squished against the ground behind her, and my chest ahead of her. She attempts to open her mouth to say something, but this only seems to cause her lips to rub against my skin, and I gasp. "A...aah! No, don't…" Trying to back up, I find myself stuck against her leg, and feel my face flush even deeper red as I struggle to discover a less-than-shameful means to get out of this small crater that we have created. Black Heart seems to wish for the same, yet doesn't understand my predicament as she wiggles, attempting to move underneath me, causing… "Nnn… no… D-don't…"

She tries to speak again, and the situation only worsens as I collapse on her, pleading for her to stop trying to solve the current issues at hand. She… doesn't listen, refusing to stop moving, and as a result, things continue to…!

...I may not be fit for marriage anymore.

 **[Insert unwritten struggle here]**

...Quite a few minutes later, after what feels more like hours to me, we finally dislodge ourselves from that atrociously horrid crater. Panting and holding a hand to my chest, I keep my back to Black Heart, waiting for my body to normalize and for the color to seep from me. Frowning, I pray this never gets brought up again, which… "Never. Speak. Of. This," I command Black Heart, shifting to eye her.

"...I-I had no intention to, t-to begin with. Don't… don't worry. Your secret's safe with me," she answers, her face as scarlet as mine has to be. I watch as she goes to rub away something on her leg and then quickly avert my gaze, clasping my hands over my face in embarrassment. "A-anyway, we'll completely bypass that landing and just say you landed poorly by yourself, where I was a distance away… alright?"

"...Y-yes, I do believe that would suffice. Thank you." We both nod to each other, reaching a mutual understanding of events that _did not_ transpire. Shaking on it - with her other hand, I made sure - we hold our heads up high and proceed toward Planeptune as we discuss different strategies to introduce one another to our respective nations.

"Think we can just stick with, 'We put our differences aside for the betterment of our nations as a whole,' or something like that?" she suggests, and I pause, contemplating my populace's reaction to it. "Or are we going with something more out of the blue, like announcing we intend to combine forces for creating a new Gamindustri or something along those lines?"

I shrug, unsure. "It's hard to say. Perhaps we can just follow the flow of things and deal with it however we will when it comes."

"As long as this doesn't end up being a misunderstanding that we're getting married or some strange you'esque error, I think we'll be good," she remarks, and I blush and look away. She must notice this as she pats my shoulder, shaking her head. "Nothing happened. You're still… a sort of chaste maiden."

"I ought to force you to hold responsibility for this, in general," I growl out, sighing. "I have never been so flustered in my entirety as a CPU."

"I… I, uh… Ahem! So even the great Purple Heart, the fiercest warrior in all of Gamindustri, can still blush like a schoolgirl? How cute."

"You're horrible."

" _You're_ the dangerous one here. I'm apparently just stuck dealing with your slip-ups. You ought to be grateful that I'm so understanding."

"...Or that you're a closet pervert so it seems to be received adequately."

" _I'm_ the closet pervert? Look at your words, sometimes! Don't try to pin this on me."

We bicker like this for quite a few more minutes until we reach the southernmost gate of Planeptune. The guards present salute in unison at my approach, and then suddenly fumble with their weapons, their eyes widening in horror upon seeing Black Heart beside me. They halfheartedly raise their weapons, trembling in caution, giving me questioning and worried looks, to which I wave them down with a smile.

"Lady Black Heart is a diplomatic guest here at this current time. She is to be shown as much respect as I am until I give further orders, understood?" I decree, listening to them pledge their allegiance to my statement. "Excellent. We will be journeying to the Basilicom to speak together before I must make a formal announcement. Please see to it that the citizens are made privy to this, so that we may head off any information distortions before they arise."

"Yes, Lady Purple Heart! By your command!"

Watching as the gate opens and they hurry off to spread the word, Black Heart crosses her arms and nods, grinning. "Rather obedient little boys, aren't they? They seem even devoted. Color me impressed."

"I do not know if you are hinting at something or are honestly offering praise at my leadership, but I am going to attempt to assume it was the latter so that we may proceed. Come, then, _Lady Black Heart_ , let us walk as rulers should," I mutter to her as we both straighten and formalize our postures, proceeding down the streets of Planeptune in perfect sync. "Have you any commentary upon the state of my nation, then?" I inquire, tilting my head only slightly to her whilst waving to passersby offering their praise and best wishes to my endeavors thus far.

She nods slowly, her eyes and head moving barely as she observes the true atmosphere of my people. We pause to allow two children chasing one another in the middle of the street to race by, both of us offering the mothers fretting over the matter reassuring words before setting forth again. "Your people are highly respectful, but highly lackadaisical. They are well-ordered and yet free. Intelligent yet naive. A rather impressive sight to behold, no doubt," she remarks, her expression mirroring her opinion. "Perhaps Planeptune has more to offer as an equal than I had first anticipated - the matter from earlier may have been an unintentional blessing in disguise."

"We are of like minds, then. This may be a fruitful venture for the future, as well," I say, and she nods. Rounding a street and then heading down another, we turn left, entering the main plaza, where the Basilicom building towers high above all others, resting in the very center of the city.

"...Wow, setting yourself as the focal point. Clever and wise, but a little haughty though, I must admit," she notes, and I nod, shrugging. "Why do you act like that, Lady Purple Heart?" she inquires, tilting her head.

"This city seems to have existed even before I remember becoming the patron CPU of Planeptune, or rather specifically, this main plaza. We may not have records as to _why_ it does, but we know it has outlived all aspects of our culture."

"Lastation surprisingly has a similar history. I would presume then that Lowee and Leanbox also have such a timeline. I wonder why that is?"

"A difficult area to investigate if none of us have any clues to delve deeper into the mystery with, I must reluctantly admit. Come, follow me - let us rest at the Basilicom whilst we plan for our public speech."

"Alright. Lead the way then."

Nodding to one another, we proceed through the plaza while trying to ignore the hundreds of eyes resting upon us as we stop at the entrance to the Basilicom. The two men standing guard salute, parting ways to allow us to pass - the message that Black Heart accompanying me seeming to be successfully relayed. How fortuitous.

Stepping into the main central elevator, we rise through the many office-related floors of the Basilicom as I point out to Black Heart about the various departments within Planeptune. She seems rather impressed, as her attention is raptly focused on learning each of the methods and organized ideals that we employ, seemingly comparing them in her head with Lastation policies. A well of pride surges within me as a sense of accomplishment - admittedly, Lastation's interest in our affairs, from the very heart of the city, the pun unintended, is a bigger boost to my confidence than anything I could ever consider.

As the elevator arrives on my personal suite's floor, we exit the contraption, and I flush as I recall that I have always had a personal habit of utilizing this floor to decorate in rather… childish design. Vibrant wallpaper, plush carpets, flowery or feminine furniture, plushes, and tapestries, alongside a rather messy and unkempt array of games, consoles, papers, and various other items lying about from the last time I had spent time here. Often, I must admit, I have been… too busy to really tidy up the room. Eying Black Heart, she smiles, sighing as she turns to me.

"You really are more human than I expected. It seems you don't match up to the image I have held of you at all for the last… who knows how long? This room is rather homely. Though… it's a little messy for the leader of a nation, isn't it?" she remarks, immediately starting to pick up a stack of papers, quickly sorting through them before replacing and rearranging all of my game boxes onto a nearby shelf. She stretches, yawning. "It may not be my place, but I can continue to pick some of this up, if you want. You look like you're a bit too overwhelmed to try and do it yourself at the moment, I have to admit."

"...Please do, I need a moment to cool off."

"Yeah, alright. Give me about ten minutes and I'll have most of this spread sorted out."

"...Thank you, Black."

"Hey, no problem. You can just owe me one for this."

* * *

 **I'm beginning to enjoy writing them like this more and more. PH and BH always seemed like they would be great friends due to their HDD personalities, even outside Neptune/Noire. I like to think I display that even with this slight twist on their characteristics, even if I'm trying to follow along with how I believe the canon pair would act. Sorry if this makes them a bit more OoC, but, it's kinda' enjoyable. D:**

 **I'm going to probably take a little bit more time with the next segment, due to it needing to cover a wider area, such as Planeptune to Lastation to laying the groundwork for what comes after, and the little bits in between. Also rolling around a couple of plot ideas that would kind of shoot the whole Superdimension theme, so I need to figure out if I'm going to try and incorporate non-SD themes or plot-points or not. Might mostly stick with SD world aspects. Yeah.**

 **I believe I added a nice balance of serious to friendly to 'plotty' in this. I tried to, anyway. I even like it enough to where I don't think I need to do multiple edits and have someone proofread this. Hip, hip!**

Anyway, sorry if this turned out slower-paced than some people wanted, or even possibly much faster-paced than it could have been. Never been good at dragging out parts that I can put in concise and compact segments - which is something I _am_ trying to actually get better at. However, I hope it turned out well enough and gave you that bit of a PH/BH scratch you may have wanted, or at least piqued your interest in the actual story progression a wee bit more. :)

With that said and done, I'm gonna' go take a break as I have some schoolwork to do, some IRL stuff to get done, and some shopping to shower and prepare for. Give me some thoughts, feedback or just enjoy the story - all at your own personal choice. :D

Tainted out.~


	3. The Progressive Purple Decree

**Heya, heya, heya. Tainted here, throwing this onto the site hopefully shortly after I've finished it. Gonna be scanning and re-reading it, since I took a _lot_ of intermittent breaks this time due to some real life complications and fun priorities that kept me away. I'll probably speak most of my usual ramble at the bottom to keep this top part short and sweet. So for now...**

 **An agreement to lead to the birth of a true friendship... kind of, and a speech, a whole hell of a lot of misunderstandings, teasing, and frustration, and then some real plot advancement finally. Super rare, considering how much effort this actually took to create a flowing series of events from, really. Hope it turned out.**

 **Without much more to be said, catch you at the bottom. Onward!**

* * *

Honestly, I'm somewhat glad her room is actually pretty normal. Compared to her, this sort of thing isn't really as bad as my personal life, but hey, I suppose that we all have things we don't really want other people to see. I watch as she quietly slips off to sit on one of the giant fluffy couches, leaning back on it while covering her face and crossing her legs, and I smirk. I'll be sure to not let this slide later, but for now, I'll let her live it down. After all, paying her back for using me as her landing pad earlier… I shudder. You'll _pay_ , Purple Heart. That much, I'm sure of.

Setting aside another stack of papers, I gather up a few handfuls of random stuffed animals and some collectible figurines, setting them carefully onto one of her many barren shelves, narrowing my eyes at the amount of dust accumulated. "How… often do you clean these or dust them off?" I ask, peeking over at her as she jumps, sheepishly raising her hand, lifting all five fingers. "...Five months?" She nods, and I blink. "Well, to each their own… I guess. I'll make sure you clean this place up next time I drop by, though, since that's a little gross, Purple."

"I… I am aware. I'm sorry, Black," she mumbles out sadly, and I sigh, shrugging. I'll set my inner desire to wipe everything in this room down with numerous cleaning supplies aside for a different day, doing my best to shove it to the back of my mind. I won't pick on her too much more for now.

Having set enough aside to satisfy the bare minimums of my need for organization and cleanliness, I settle into the couch opposite her, folding my hands in my lap primly, coughing. She withdraws her hand from her face, looking down at me before leaning forward, drumming her fingers on the cushion beside her. We both stay silent for a few moments while I consider how to best start the conversation, and then I just decide to say, to hell with it. "So, after we wing this speech, what should we get done, you think?"

She purses her lips, her eyes retrieving that serious sparkle that makes her, well, her. Gazing out of the window to her left; the giant one in the center of this sitting area; the one that overlooks all of her city, she hums softly. "Perhaps… we ought to handle the situation of our shares dropping, firstly, while bridging the gap between our nations."

"Sounds fair, though how exactly do you propose we earn the affection of the populace more than we already have? Guild quests? Random acts of charity? I don't know too many methods outside of… actually, if we word this correctly, even the alliance ought to win us numerous shares straight from Lowee and Leanbox. A strong international announcement to spread like wildfire might just remedy the problem entirely. Well. If we're lucky, at least."

"Our populaces both will be delighted, and any under either banner will likely feel a deeper adoration for both you and I… Yes, of course! That might actually benefit us more than any public relations work that we could work at instead of searching for that strange invader. You're rather clever, Black Heart."

"Hah, I have to be to best all of you in more than just combat," I point out, grinning as she pouts. "Hey, not my fault that I strive for perfection. We might get along a lot better now though if we focus on working together, since two heads are better than one," I reason, though I can't honestly say I'm sure whether or not this is a good idea - even if we manage to defeat that hag, what would we do? Would we be able to call a ceasefire to focus on working together? And what about Lowee and Leanbox? Should we just conquer those two and wipe out any chances of them getting in our way in the future…? Even I'm starting to wonder if that's a bit extreme.

"That is true," she responds, nodding. She pauses, staring at me, biting her lip again which I quickly look away from, groaning quietly in discomfort. Goddess, that's going to get annoying if she keeps stuff like that up. Ah, wait, more importantly, what is she thinking about…? "Black Heart… what do you intend to do after we find that woman and defeat her, moving forward?"

I raise an eyebrow. So, she's weighing out the same things I am. Huh, she's more clever than she's seemed until now. Better to be truthful though, right? "I'm not sure yet. Ultimately, a permanent ceasefire might be a little impossible right now, but, I believe until we find a better solution or otherwise crush Leanbox and Lowee, Lastation will stand by Planeptune until further notice. That fair enough, since asking me to be your ally forever kind of voids this last forever, basically?"

She nods slowly, grimacing. "I suppose that is an acceptable answer, however… what if I wish for an everlasting peace?"

"Haah?" I skeptically retort, baffled. "You're _not_ going to throw out that you've wanted to peacefully be friends with me and the other two for forever, are you? What brought this on, anyway? Deathmatch earlier ring a bell? Did that machine knock you for a permanent loop? Amnesia?" I ask, watching as she shrugs, smiling.

"I may not have desired a friendship with all of you _forever_ , per-say, but I do admit that in the last… decade or maybe a bit longer, I have had a personal musing to, perhaps… improve diplomatic relations?"

"...Oh, my Goddess. The person I considered the only real threat to me overtaking Gamindustri is a giant _hippie?_ This has to be some sick joke, Purple. Please tell me it is," I say in disbelief, watching her shift uncomfortably at my response. "...Oh, wow. You're actually seriously serious, then. That's almost scarier than realizing you might genuinely be a klutz and not just a closet pervert."

" _Can you stop with that?! Let me live it down, please!_ " she shouts, standing up as her face reddens slightly. Instinctively, I lean back and narrow my eyes, blinking in confusion when I realize she has no intentions to attack me. Jeez, that's going to be hard to get used to… Wait, why am I even getting caught up in her pace? Why did I even agree to this? "I'm not some sort of strange pervert, nor am I a klutz, nor am I a warmonger, nor am I a coward. I simply… Well, I suppose spending these last few hours with you has begun to instill the belief in me that perhaps there may be more to our futures than just fighting constantly. We're all immortal, aren't we? Why must we endlessly fight to kill one another? Why would I _want_ to kill _you_?"

I feel my heart beat a little faster for a second, and I cough. "W-what the hell are you talking about? Stop saying things so strangely. We fight because we all want something different for Gamindustri and for our nations to not die out… I think. Damn it, the more time I spend with you, the more muddled my feelings get," I blurt out, glaring at her now. "Just earlier, I was sure I wanted to cut you down for the sake of Lastation and for the sake of my survival. Now, we have some random hag after us, we don't know if the other two are teaming up to get rid of us, I know you aren't a terrible person, and that you want to be _friends_. This is all a _little_ sudden, Purple Heart."

"And if I do not attempt to push this belief now, when will we get another chance to speak as anything but enemies and rivals, Black Heart?! Do tell me. When."

I open my mouth to respond, but stop. When? "That's… that'd be…" I lower my head, staring at my hands as I turn them toward me, trying to think. "Well… It'd be…"

"Never. We would never even know anything about one another had we not been forced to work together. And now, you try to insist, that we throw away the chance to bury the hatchet and actually begin to understand one another? I refuse." She takes a step toward me, and I blink, pulling back on the couch as she continues to approach. Feeling a strange slew of emotions as she approaches, my body tells me it's time to _go_. I grab the back of the couch, trying to lift myself off it, but her hands move faster as she takes hold of my shoulders, pushing me back down whilst sitting on my legs, pinning me. Crap, crap, crap, this position and this mood…! Get off me! "I don't care… what you may think or believe. I wish to get to know _you_ better as a person, and allow you to get to know _me_ better as well. I want to be more than enemies. I want to be able to know that I am not destroying another nation and another kind-hearted soul simply to fuel my own ambitions." Goddess, she's so damn heavy and stubborn. Why is she so warm? Why can't I _move_? "Please, Black Heart. Don't run away from me. Can't we be… friends?"

We sit like this for who knows however long, and thank _Goddess_ no one visits her room, because this would be _impossible_ to explain as anything but suggestive. No matter how much I move, she doesn't let go and I can't slip out from under her. I'm literally stuck, hypersensitive to every bit of the annoyingly stubborn woman sitting on me, with her soft, warm skin and her gentle yet firm eyes as she watches me intently, pleadingly, waiting for me to cave. I want to get out of here, I want to escape, I want to be able to shove the emotions she keeps eliciting within me into the darkest, furthest reaches of my mind, and yet she _won't leave me alone_. Gritting my teeth, I try to struggle again as she leans in closer, pushing my hands down harder while supporting herself on my legs, and I sigh. I'm literally in an unwinnable position now. She won, this time. Utterly, fully, truly.

I wait a few minutes, closing my eyes as I let my heart start to calm down, doing my best to get _her_ out of my mind as I dull my senses. Calming down, I let out a breath and speak, continuing to keep my eyes closed. "...If you get off of me, and get me out of this inappropriate position, and maybe _back the hell off,_ I will speak to you on a level you will be pleased with. Does _that_ suit your tastes, Pushy Heart?"

"...I may move once you give me your answer," she responds, her grip tightening to where it nearly hurts now. I wince, and she slackens just slightly, but still nowhere near enough to mount an escape attempt. Damn it, she's a _lot_ more intelligent and crafty than I first thought. Is her clumsy attitude just a ruse? Did I let my guard drop too soon? I must've. She's disarmed me for… the last time.

"...Fine. You want to try being _friends_ , that's fine by me. You want me to try and play along with this stupid pipe dream and make nice-nice with everyone? I'll give it a go. But," I open my eyes, staring at her with the iciest, coldest, most piercing gaze I can muster, "if this is a ploy to harm me or eradicate Lastation, or if you betray my trust in you even _once_ , I _will not_ be your ally. I _will_ hunt you down, and I _will_ kill you. _Do you understand me, Purple Heart?_ "

She freezes, her grip going limp as her eyes widen in what I believe to be fear as she leans back slightly, looking down at me. Sighing, I close my eyes, wondering if I already called her exact intentions… before feeling her fall on me, wrapping her arms around me as she hugs me. My eyes shooting open, I peer at her in bewilderment as she nuzzles into me, smiling. "Excellent! Excellent, excellent, excellent! Thank you, Black Heart!"

"T-the hell is this?! Why are you _hugging_ me?! What even are you thanking me for?! This is molestation!" I shout, trying to pry her off me as her warmth and curves press against mine, and I wince in what I insist is discomfort. " _Get off me, damn it!_ Do you even _know_ what personal space is?!"

She chuckles, leaning back as she rolls off me, sitting down instead beside me as she stretches, raising her arms above her head while holding up a 'V' with her fingers. "I do in fact know the definition of the word, I simply admit that I felt overjoyed that you actually agreed. I hadn't expected you to concede in working with me for even one chance, if I may be honest."

"...And what the hell were you going to do if I said no, like you expected, then?" I say, raising an eyebrow as I fix my hair, outfit and emotions, still glaring at her. "And I ought to hit you for doing that. That was _beyond_ molestation."

"I… don't really know, if I may be frank. I'd of continued trying to convince you until you eventually gave in, most likely," she answers, nodding to herself before glancing over at me. _So she was going to continue getting closer like that?!_ "Am I really that uncomfortable to sit with?"

"A...ah… No, no, n-no, not at all. It's just… embarrassing. That's not… actually… Why the hell do I have to explain why that wasn't alright in the first place?! You don't just sit in a girl's lap and pin her down, getting closer and closer as you straddle her! Do you even _know_ what that must look like to most people?!" I shout, smacking my palm against my forehead. "Why do you insist on messing with me, anyway?!"

"I don't really intend to _mess_ with you, I just did what I felt would work best," she responds simply, shrugging. "If people misconstrue my intentions for sexual urges, then I do not particularly expect them to be of equal worth as those I intend to convince."

"You're _shameless_ , is what you are. Ugh, why did I have to get stuck with you like this…?" I mutter, spreading my fingers to cover most of my face with my hand as I think of all the things I have done in my life, wondering if somehow Purple Heart is acting as karmic retribution. I don't even remember doing anything that bad, to begin with! This is absurd! Shifting my attention to her, I notice she's smirking at me, looking smug, and my eyelid twitches in annoyance. Does she think my emotions are some sort of _game?_ I flick her forehead, watching as she winces uncomfortably, holding a hand to where I hit her. "I hate you, I swear. You continue doing stuff like that to me again, I'll… I'll really hit you."

"Then don't try to run away when we are having an intensely serious conversation," she remarks, and I narrow my eyes skeptically. "Hm? What's that look about, Black Heart?"

"Does this mean you intend to do that to the other two CPUs should we pursue a diplomatic peace with them as well?" I inquire, curious. If this is part of her personality in general, I _swear_ I will be ditching her, because I'm not getting roped into this crap constantly. No, I'll find…

"Hmm… no, not particularly. It felt right to do to you, though I can't say I wish to put myself in such a position with Green Heart or White Heart. Plus, I don't believe they would allow me to touch them to such an extent to begin with," she says, shuddering at some thought or another as I feel my cheeks flush. Does she even know what sort of crap she spews out before she says it?! "...Or is that wrong?"

"...I… Ugh, the hell if I know. Before today, I didn't even know you were anything but an arrogant pain in the ass, and I know even less about the other two. Do whatever you feel is right, I guess," I grumble, crossing my arms. "I don't even care anymore." Sighing, I stare up at the ceiling, wondering why the hell it had to be _her_ anyway…? Life is so unfair.

A few minutes pass as she sits, beaming smugly at me with her eyes closed while I stew in my embarrassment, trying to ignore her. Waiting for my mind to clear to some extent, I cough and turn to face her, setting a serious expression on my face to in turn have her do the same. "All things aside, I think our current best bet will be to prepare for a speech announcing the newly-designated peace between Planeptune and Lastation. Likely, we ought to open an open-door policy and encourage travel and intermingling for a positive relationship. Whether our populaces can adjust to this concept, we will yet see. Do you have any aerocraft here for use, or has Planeptune yet to advance to the age of flight?" I ask, watching as her expression contorts as if I insulted her. "You were the one to say your technological advancements have been crap, so don't give me that expression."

"...Urgh, I suppose I did," she mumbles bitterly, crossing her arms in a huff. "Though, yes, Planeptune has machines capable of flight. We mainly utilize them to access the small outlying islands outside of our nation, if I recall, but they are capable of making longer distances up to the edges of Planeptune to Lastation if need be."

"...Only the edges? I suppose we'll designate you old flight engines as well. Hell, maybe I ought to loan you a few of my scientists or researchers for a year."

"...A year? You would go so far as to lend us your staff for more than…," she trails off, her eyes widening before centering awkwardly on her feet.

"I'm not sure what you're trying to insinuate, but yes, I wouldn't mind. You told me we'd try giving the whole 'a permanent peace' thing a try, and as your friend, I think your nation needs to come out of the stone ages before Lowee does, so, yeah, I deem it worth the effort. Can't have too big of a gap between our nations if we want to avoid jealousy and feelings of excessive superiority, really, anyway."

"...I see, that is a fair point in of itself. I'm still surprised you accepted this so quickly, honestly," she notes, and I shrug. "Are you… being honest about your agreement and participation in my selfish request?"

"Yeah, why not. It's not like you'd let me go if I disagreed anyway, and I _guess_ you're tolerable enough to spend time with doing things besides trying to kill each other. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt _once_ , but currently, that's it. You understand?" I remind her, rolling my eyes. She gets hung up on such weird crap, seriously. "Now, are we ready to move ahead with this crazy idea and make Lowee and Leanbox sweat it out a little?"

She nods, smiling softly at me as she stands up, offering her hand to me. "Let us break the endless cycle, together, Black Heart."

Staring up at her, I admire the way the light from the window hits her, causing her to glow as if blessed. The way her eyes sparkle, the way she carries herself, and just the way she is - she may never fit the image I held of her, but I can't say I mind her being like this. Reckless, brash, and completely terrible at diplomacy and political maneuvering, a woman led by her blind faith and ideals rather than by a lust for power or a hatred for others… maybe she can be the catalyst to changing all of Gamindustri, if she wanted. Hell, I'll throw my and Lastation's support behind her, and see what she does with this alliance. Can't hurt too much, can it?

"Hey, Purple," I start, watching her blink in surprise, tilting her head curiously. "If we're really doing this, between just you and me… Noire."

"...Noire?" she blinks, and I nod, smiling slightly, my cheeks reddening. Never have I given my name out to others, but this time, I'll actually put some faith in her and see where everything goes. "...That would be…," I nod, raising an eyebrow at her. Her lips upturn as she chuckles quietly. "What a brilliant name. I understand - it's nice to truly meet you… Noire. I am… Neptune."

"Neptune, huh? Has an adequate ring to it. I'll accept it. Let's shake things up, then, Neptune."

"Yes, let's."

 **[A short time passes]**

Standing out on the main balcony of Planeptune's Basilicom, we overlook what can be estimated as thousands upon thousands of people gathered in earnest interest, their eyes keenly resting on both… Neptune… and I. That name will take some time to adjust to, I think. Having given her time to change into one of her many apparent spare combat suits, she gazes over the faces of her populace, smiling genuinely at each and every one. Slowly, the crowd's chatter dies down from their gathering as they wait eagerly, their eyes shifting from their leader to me and then back. It's a little weird, seeing the whole of Planeptune gathered like this. I'd never of even considered me standing here, watching them all alongside the rival that I've always admired, the one that has been my sole equal, the one that…

"Greetings, fellow denizens of Planeptune, land of the Purple Progress. I hope you all fare well today, that you are in good spirits with large hearts and open minds, and that you will continue to devote yourself to the entirety of this great nation, and to our world of Gamindustri. I, as your patron protector and ruler, Lady Purple Heart, have come to bring forth change. Change… yes, my fellow men and women, change!" she shouts, watching as each and every person's face contorts with anxious wonder and hesitant curiosity. Turning to smile at me, I nod to her as she focuses on her crowds again, continuing.

"Too long has this war… the Console war… gone on in an endlessly vicious cycle - a constant battleground for four nations to suffer over the final edict of a Goddess no longer alive to govern over all of us, leaving us in opposing conflicts of opinion, to feel as though we must endlessly struggle to survive and fight, or else we lose our names, our cultures, our very lives! Yes, my fellow citizens, I speak of a fruitless war that we have endlessly forced to wage from all sides… a war that will change today. I ask you, what would you believe the nations outside of ours to feel? Would they not feel the same as we, who simply wish to survive, to live, to prosper? What if they love, they laugh, and they cry just as we do? What if… they are simply the same as we are?"

Murmurs. Whispers. A couple shouts drowned in the moment. Purple… Neptune looks to me, smiling once more, and I nod again, acting as her support somehow. She clears her throat, taking a step closer to the microphone before her, her body trembling slightly.

"Today, on this very day, only hours ago… I have discovered, in the thick of battle against the enemy that I had long expected to be our longest-lasting… the woman whom has always been my rival, my fiercest foe, my equal… to be truly as human as the rest of us - to be just as kind-hearted and devoted to her populace as I have been to all of you. And, during this exchange… I began to finally understand it, to finally grasp what we may have all always missed - the simple possibility… that we simply lack understanding of one another. That our situations are not far varied, not far skewed, nor too different to speak together as equals and friends, rather than only with blades and hatred. Here, beside me, I have my greatest rival, the one who has always spurred me to fight harder and push further than all others, and now… likely to be my greatest and dearest friend and ally - the changing factor for this decision herself… Lady Black Heart of Lastation, the city of Black Regality. Lady Black Heart, could you stand beside me?" she asks, shifting to face me, offering me her hand. "Would you take my hand and stand beside me, to address my questions and inquiries before my people?"

...Holy _crap_ , Neptune. Now this is a little different than I expected. Ah, crap, I'm actually even a little embarrassed… Ugh. Shaking away the fluster she stirred within me, I nod, taking her hand as she leads me to the microphone, standing beside me as she faces me, nodding to me. "Yes, Lady Purple Heart of Planeptune, I shall. Speak your mind and I shall speak mine, to lay all bare without any further misconceptions."

She smiles, eliciting the urge to do the same, myself, as she nods once more. "Then, I will be frank - did you, or did you not put yourself in harm's way to rescue me thrice today?"

"...I did, as a matter of fact." Ah, crap, how many people just gasped aloud? This isn't Lastation, these eyes aren't familiar… Ugh, this is… "As did you, saving my life at the last minute."

"Did you intend to solely rescue me for your own intentions?"

"...No, I may have considered it my duty as your rival for the first time, but as I have journeyed with you today, to have met you and understand you perhaps even the slightest amount better, I felt it just simply right to do so."

"As had I felt, even at that moment - I simply wished for you to live beside me, so that we would speak yet another day. And after this…!" she starts, turning to her crowds, beaming. "Even though I had been injured, even though I was wounded, Lady Black Heart stood by me, to forage for medicine and supplies, to watch over me as I rested, despite being wounded _herself!_ If not for this woman, today, I would not be here amongst you all. I would likely have fallen to an unknown force that wished for both her head and mine, to have failed in my duty to protect and govern you all until my dying breath. By her kind gesture, we both stand here, alive, well, and stronger than before. By her actions, we stand here today… as _allies_!"

Another string of audible gasps, exclamations and various other sounds.

"Yes, I have said that which will soon become a reality - Planeptune and Lastation will soon no longer be enemies, but the strongest, sturdiest of allies; an alliance to usher forth a new era… not of war, of death, of bitter hatred and misunderstandings, but of camaraderie, peace, and unity! I come here today, to speak to each and every one of you, to tell you with the firmest of resolve that I have ever held, that Lady Black Heart and I… will become one for the future of Gamindustri!"

...Eh? Doesn't that sound… "...Lady Purple Heart, perhaps you ought to…"

"We will be joined, our minds and bodies in one another's hands, for the intentions of being a singular front in which to drive both our nations of Planeptune and Lastation, and all of Gamindustri forward, into a new age of love and acceptance!"

" _ **YEAHHHH!**_ "

I close my eyes, chuckling quietly as the crowds cheer, and I do in fact know I hear the cheering sounds of approval of many in ways _outside that which means alliance_ , and instead means something more intimate. I open my eyes, far too exhausted to even become excitable over her unintentional declaration of what definitively sounds far more romantic than diplomatic, staring at her hands clutching mine tightly as she cheers alongside her crowds, drilling home her final statements. Peering out at the masses hailing our names and the future we bring, I purse my lips in amusement now, thinking of what we'll even do from now on.

"Hey," I mumble quietly, rubbing her leg with my foot to grab her attention. She glances over at me, offering me a questioning expression as I motion to the room behind us. "I need to go and sit down, perhaps find some time to rest. You've worn me out now." More cheering. Of course. She had to keep the microphone sensitive enough to pick up even that.

"Of course, Lady Black Heart. Feel free to rest to your heart's content. I will be along shortly to likely do the same."

"...Yes, of course. Try not to give them a bigger misunderstanding than you already have."

"...What might that mean?"

 **[An indefinite amount of time passes]**

Feeling the movements of someone shifting close to me, my eyes open instantaneously as I roll over, watching as Purple Heart shrieks, jumping backward. Ah right, it's Neptune now. Maybe I should even just call her, 'Wifey' or some crap, at this rate. Yawning, I slowly open my eyes, watching her blink as she holds a hand over her heart, exhaling. "You… alright there… Purple…?" I mumble out, still somewhat tired since it's just her. She was probably intending to cuddle with me or something to embarrass me further when I woke up, I bet.

"Ah… ah? Y-yes, I am fine. You just… caught me off-guard, still being awake and all," she says, closing her eyes while exhaling again. Man, I must've really scared her - not that that's really much of a revenge after the amount of misunderstandings and awkward positions she's putting me into.

"Eh… I've always been a bit of a light sleeper, if we're being honest," I grumble, shifting to lay on my back. It's not exactly as comfortable as laying face-first in a pillow, but it at least lets me keep an eye on her. "I just woke up to ensure I wasn't being assassinated in my sleep, really. So, what were you trying to do, 'Innocent' Heart?"

"That's a strange nickname," she points out, and I shrug, smirking. "I simply intended to lay down and rest, since this is my bed."

"Pffft. Sure thing, alright. Whatever, just let me sleep in peace, alright?" After she makes a sound in affirmation, I roll over to try and get back to sleep… but sense her inching closer even after laying down. "...If you won't even let me sleep, at least tell me what time it is…"

"I have full intentions to let you sleep, though," she remarks, her tone disapproving. I wonder if this is some sort of weird game to her? Ah, not like she'd ever admit to it anyway. "And… it's 5:17 in the evening. You have been sleeping now for… thirty-seven minutes."

"What do you intend to do to me by inching closer as I try to fall asleep, then. What could it _possibly_ be explained as? And, ugh. I should probably get up to prepare to travel to Lastation," I grumble. "Thanks, I guess, for waking me up, no matter what you hoped to achieve."

"Awww, I just was hoping you would make for an excellent source of heat while I rested," she complains, sighing. "Would you be leaving now, for Lastation, then?"

"Of course. I still need to ensure they are all alright, before I lose any more shares to the current predicament," I respond, sliding out of the bed and onto my feet, stretching, doing my best to ignore her. "Are you going to tag along and put me in more weird situations, or are you staying behind to do whatever you want?"

She smiles, sitting up in a pose that reminds me of a tired wife greeting her husband, and I sigh, shaking my head. "I will accompany you, as a good ally should."

"...Alright, that works, I suppose. Come on, then. We'll need to borrow one of your nation's flight devices if we want to conserve our energy, since I didn't get any shares for letting you declare your weird alliance speech to your populace."

"I received some, to actually override the amount I had at the start of the day. It seems I have earned the hearts of more people residing in this nation than I had first anticipated… and it is thanks to you. Thank you… Noire."

I feel my cheeks redden slightly at her use of my name, and I nod. "...Sure thing, I guess. Glad to be of help and whatever. Come on, it'll be getting dark soon."

"Understood. Let me request a vehicle to be designated to us, then," she says, and down the elevator we go. She continually stands close to me, and I eye her skeptically, starting to doubt that innocent facade of hers that she seems to consistently utilize. Maybe some parts of it are unintentional, but I think she's doing this just to mess with me now. I need to find an opening to pay her back… hm… ah! As the elevator begins to reach the bottom floor, full of all her citizens, I smirk, swooning as I fall against her, watching her yelp in surprise as I pull her closer to me, leaning back against the wall. "W… waah! Black… Heart…?"

As the doors open, I make a sound of disapproval, my scarlet cheeks playing to my advantage now. "No, nooo, Purple Heart, you can't~… My first… Not here…!~"

"...Is Lady Purple Heart a bit of a sexual deviant?" "That poor, lucky girl." "Lady Purple Heart, how shameless!~" "Yuri is the purest form of love."

Our walk to the Planeptune hangar is held in silence, with me grinning with satisfaction as I nudge Purple Heart's side, winking at her from time to time - to continually solidify that absolute crimson controlling the entirety of her body. She grumbles whenever I get closer, cursing at me as I laugh, knowing my face can't be much better, but hey - at least I'm not the CPU known for being a sexual deviant, now, right?

"You're… so horrid," she mumbles, folding her arms while pouting. Still red, too, hahahaha! "I can't… believe you'd do something like that in front of my populace."

"I did _nothing_ ," I remark, thoroughly amused. "I didn't know you were such a _deviant_ ,~" I say, putting specific emphasis on my last word as I hurriedly evade her attempt to grab me. "Nooo, not like beforeee…~"

"S-stop making things sound so… lewd!" she exclaims, thrusting her hands downward as she huffs. I raise an eyebrow, crossing my arms, cocking my head, giving her the most skeptical, disbelieving expression I can muster at the current time. "...What are you looking at me like that for?"

"The pot called, Kettle. He says you're black," my tone is unimpressed as I narrow my eyes on her, brushing some hair back behind my shoulders as I yawn, stretching comfortably. "How far to this strange hangar of yours? I feel this is taking a while."

"It should be that building up ahead, if I recall," she answers, our conversation finally normalizing after however long it's been derailed. "Do you see it? It's the one shaped like a large-scale armory bunker."

"That's an odd shape for a hangar, don't you think? What, can't you just use the normal design or something like a normal person? Actually, nevermind, I shouldn't be surprised that you'd pick a different style."

"I felt as though you just lightly veiled an insult in that observation and realization. I'm unsure whether I ought to feel offended at your treatment of me."

"No, of course you probably should, but it's not like I mean too much harm by it… probably. It's just part of our… friendship, it seems."

"I'd prefer to found our friendship on closeness and affection for one another," she says, taking a step closer toward me.

I shoot her another wary look, squinting. "Are you trying to do this… again? I don't appreciate your games, Purple… Neptune."

"What ever do you mean?"

"Ugh, let's just get into the damn depot. I am so done today," I grumble, shaking my head. "How about we call a truce and end the whole teasing thing for maybe… a few hours, at least? Come on, give a girl at least that," I bargain, ensuring a safe distance between the two of us until she agrees. I am _not_ getting caught against her to play at her pace again… not until tomorrow, at least. I think my entire psyche needs time to cool off and relax.

"...Awww. Does it have to be such a lengthy period of time?" _So she is doing this on purpose!_ "I enjoy your reactions to my closeness, though…"

"It can wait, you pain in the ass. We have bigger priorities, remember?" I reason, hoping to find a way to cut her off from this obvious cue. "We have to ensure Lastation's prepared to bridge the gap with Planeptune, see to it that the old hag gets her comeuppance, and then go knock down Lowee's and Leanbox's doors to respectively demand answers. Being annoying and bugging me can wait."

"I hope they will consider a peaceful resolution to this issue, just as we have. Though, it may be more difficult to extend diplomatic relations to them as we are not put into the same situations as you and I have been… Noire… Black Heart, do you think you should ' _accidentally entice'_ them as you have me?"

"W-who the hell did what now to who? _You're_ the culprit behind most of the misunderstandings today! Does the word ' _crater'_ ring a bell to you?"

Her face flushes again, and I notice that I let her cool off. Damn, she starts back up when she's composed. I'll have to keep that in mind for my sanity… I think. Hell, she's muddling my entire head up with this crap. " _V-v-vile! You wouldn't dare mention something that… didn't happen!_ "

"Chaste. Maiden… _Not,_ " I whisper to her, laughing as I take off in the direction of the aeroplane depot finally. I hear her make a sound, flabbergasted, before she exclaims grumpily, chasing after me.

"Noiiire! Get… back… here!"

* * *

 **Calling it there for now. After scanning and reading it as I applied a couple corrections, I admittedly see no problems posting this. It's a nice interlude and development segment for Black Heart's reason in assisting Purple in her whimsical decisions. Do I admittedly think I've lost the control on their personalities just a little bit? Yes. Is that a bad thing? No. Purple's still determined, mature, and serious yet also being whimsical, innocent, and a massive tease. Or is it teasing? And Black Heart's still straight-laced for the most part, just while also suffering Purple's continued assault on her sanity as she breaks down the walls of Tsundom. All according to keikaku? Little else to be said about this, aside from possibly Black Heart being too sensitive or conscious of certain matters whereas carelessly innocent to others... which might change later scenes quite a bit.**

I'm tired now - it's 1am, I have a busy day that likely might sponge up most of my freetime and ability to write, but I'll probably manage something by tomorrow night or Friday morning. Yeah, I'll call 1am on Thursday still Wednesday night. I feel no shame in this. That aside, I hope people enjoy this brief build-up and whatnot, since I'm _pretty_ sure that the coming installments afterward are going to flip things on their side, or at least toss in more combat-oriented dialogue and story flow, rather than a whole lot of suggestive themes. Well, once the trip to Lastation truly begins, at least. ;)

Tainted out, for now.~

also; i want to suddenly say that this relationship thus far actually gives me visions of a better way to write how a mushy Blanc and Vert might develop, too, though that'd consist of more swearing, physical commentary, and arguing rather than how Black/Purple do it. ;D

also, also; Black Heart's definitely the husband in the current scenario. very sure of this, for some reason.

also, also, also; i have admittedly had way too much fun derailing their conversations and typical public personalities when they're alone together. i have the feeling that this will continue being a thing, so i'm sorry if people dislike that, though they won't be alone together too much longer, i believe.

also X4; this above fact makes me somewhat sad, but it's necessary for story progression, isn't it?

 **sobs**


	4. Troublesome Separation, the Green Chance

**Heya. Tainted here again, new update. Sorry that this took a while - it wasn't long to write, but I had some Halloween preparations to make yesterday, so I never got to be able to write. D: Apologies! Anyway, this might be a bit fast-paced, but I put in an effort to fix that in some minor revisions that hopefully won't be too noticeable. If they are, sorry about that. D:**

 **Regardless, I decided to get this up beforehand so as to get to the next segment today before I run out of free time. More will be progressing at a considerable pace compared to the really kind of slow last few updates. A bit more (hopefully coherent) action and a bit more effort. ;)**

 **Ship combat - and not the pairing kind!? The duo splits up, Purple Heart's suit is slightly damaged... again... like Action U? A recurring concept... maybe. And, new characters! How amazing.**

 **Just, read it. I'm not great at vague summaries at the moment. :(**

* * *

Having boarded one of many ships currently marked as 'inactive' due to a lack of uses for them, a problem that I begrudgingly allowed Black Heart to grin at me knowingly for, we sat in adjacent seats, sitting primly as we wait. We don't really say much of anything as we listen to the pilot run diagnostics multiple times, his eyes flicking toward us warily. I cannot particularly hold him accountable for his apprehension, however, considering his passengers are two of the four most important people in the world, or otherwise stated, Goddesses. I offer him the most reassuring smile I can, and his face flushes as he returns to his work as I notice Black Heart staring coldly at me. Cocking my head, I mouth 'What?' to her as she huffs, shaking her head. Is she jealous? How adorable.

"Hey, I have an inquiry," her voice cuts the silence, and I motion for her to continue as the pilot tilts his head slightly toward her from behind his seat. "Is this craft equipped with any defensive gear or anything for possible aerial combat?" Honestly, it has become somewhat peculiar to hear her speak so… carefully, now, that it's becoming bizarre and uncomfortable. "Or are we technically to be helpless whilst traversing the skies?"

"We have rarely needed more than the ship itself to ward off most creatures," I answer, smiling. "Planeptune doesn't tend to have overtly aggressive monsters that are willing to attack our aircraft, so we did not see the need to unnecessarily invest funds into a program that yielded no purpose."

"See to it that you begin researching defensive procedures immediately, possibly running flight courses and the like to train pilots in high-tension flight. In fact, pilot," she shifts her attention to the man who lets out a nervous sound to answer her as she stands up, "I would prefer it if I commandeered the flight systems of this trip. I am getting the subtle vibe that this trip may be far more complex than what we had first anticipated, and I'd rather you not throw your life away unnecessarily."

"I-I-I am… capable of flying you anywhere you need, Black Heart!" She winces as he raises his voice awkwardly, spinning in his chair to salute haphazardly. His eyes mirror his fear for being dismissed, and I shoot Black Heart a warning expression, but she shakes her head.

"...Hm? I wasn't saying you were incompetent - I'm saying there's a high likelihood that we may be attacked and shot down, so I'm asking that you allow me to handle the ship's systems while you rest with your family instead of pitting your fate on luck and whether or not the abyss below the clouds is anything but a technical Hell."

"I… I am… n-not afraid of anything! I _have_ to do this!" he shouts, and we both pause as Black Heart sighs.

"I understand your concerns, Black Heart, but if he wishes to assist us, then who are you to speak in such a manner to those serving me?" I state in a tone that orders her to stand down. She clicks her tongue, brushing away some of her hair as she narrows her eyes at me.

"If you want to throw the life of one of your citizens away, be my guest, but I am not taking responsibility for your sentimentality, Purple Heart. Things have been quiet since Celestia, and you want to tell me with that speech of yours that you did _not_ attract the attention of our enemies?" she retorts coldly, eyeing me with harsh criticism. "While allowing your populace to feel a part of our matters, the current situation may not be the greatest time for this man to prove his worth. Regardless, fine, I shall submit to your idiotic, infectious optimism."

Crossing her arms as she sets herself onto the seats again irritably, she swivels her head to look out of one of the windows, her displeasure palpable. I frown, feeling somewhat guilty as I realize her intentions were truly inclined to be out of concern. I open my mouth to attempt to apologize, however, she flicks her eyes to me and holds out a hand, silencing me. I truly managed to upset her, then.

"...We are… we are ready for departure, ma'ams. Are you both… ready?" the pilot mumbles to us, turning his attention to offer me a nervous look. I nod, keeping my attention trained on Black Heart as the man returns to focus on the journey ahead as the ship whirs to life.

We shake a little, the ship's engine rumbling to quite an extent, and it makes me wonder whether this is one of our older ships - I thought we had decommissioned most of our elder aircraft about a year and a half ago. How curiously disconcerting. "Excuse me, sir pilot, but what model of Planeptune craft are we utilizing?"

"...E-eh?! I… uh, I'm not sure, ma'am. We are… using… uh… what was already prepared for the trip."

"...How strange that you wouldn't even know," Black Heart mutters, her eyes resting icily on the front half of the ship. She clicks her tongue, her focus shifting to different parts of the ship. "Oi, Purple, how strong is your share energy currently?"

"...I am at adequate levels, but why do you ask?" She speaks so informally now, is this just simply part of her displeasure? It's rather immature, I must admit.

"No reason, just checking. A little bit of precautionary investigation."

The ship begins to hurtle forward, our trip being a little rickety as we cruise over the expanse below us. I continue to attempt to figure out what has caused Black Heart's impolite behavior since boarding this vessel, though I am left with few answers. Does she perhaps doubt the sincerity of my populace's faith in me? Or is she still troubled that I raised my voice against her?

Minutes pass, and I frown, laying my head back against the metal, sighing. Looking over the interior of the craft once more, I notice that our pilot continually, nervously mutters into one of the old-fashioned radios as he checks over on us and then the state of the vessel, and I purse my lips. He _does_ seem awfully fidgety for a trained pilot, perhaps Black Heart's first impression of Planeptune's workers is sullying her mood. Deciding to try and reconcile on this estimation as it seems plausible enough to make the most sense, I shift my attention to Black Heart. "...Excuse me, Black Heart, I wanted to…"

"Purple, let's depart here. We can make the rest of the journey on our own," she states suddenly, standing up. Drawing her weapon, I lean back in horror as she kicks the back door of the ship off, engaging her flight systems as her futuristic wings appear, and I open my mouth to reprimand her, but she speaks first. "I don't know about you, but that pilot there doesn't have any sincerity in referring to the Goddesses as he should be, beyond 'ma'am.' He's on the radio, receiving what sound like orders to lead us into an ambush, and his face lacks dependability."

"...What?! I know you may not be impressed with his performance thus far, but to accuse him of treason…!"

"It's not an accusation when it's concrete. You're working to assassinate us, aren't you," she says, pointing her blade into the pilot's seat as the man yelps, contorting his body to stay as far away from her weapon as possible. "You don't even _have_ any pilot experience, do you?"

"O-o-of course I do?! What the hell is wrong with you, you crazy bitch?!" he growls, furrowing his brow.

"Then why haven't you attempted to engage the stabilization systems installed all throughout the ship to soften our flight? You didn't even turn on your cabin pressurization. Either you're crap as a pilot, or this is your first time flying, and I am _damn well sure_ that the Basilicom wouldn't let their patron CPU _and_ their newest ally fly with a rookie who can't even get some of the most typical insurances installed even on old-school models of Planeptune ships to work."

"...Huh? How do you know about our older ships?" I ask, and she clicks her tongue, averting her eyes from me. "Have you stolen some of our technology before?!"

"Lastation's intelligence networks are the finest in all of Gamindustri, and let me tell you, I personally know my way around enough machinery that this trip has gone wrong since the get-go. Now, you can stay here and throw your stupid fits, Purple, or you can follow me as we get the hell off this ship," she says, walking toward the gushing vacuum of air leading to the expanse below us that she created earlier, but then pauses, waiting. She tosses me an inquisitive look, frowning. "Are you meaning to tell me that you _seriously_ intend to trash our friendship and alliance without even putting an ounce of faith in me? Are you _that_ superficial?"

I blink, stunned. Frowning, I study her posture for a moment or two, curious. She's… trembling a little. Is this a test, or is she serious…? Ah, her expression is too grim for this to be a joke. She's dead-set on her observation. I hesitate, shifting my attention to the man who eyes us, and notice how hatefully he stares at us, and sigh. "I… apologize if she is wrong, but I will put stock in my ally."

She grins slightly, nodding. "I'm not usually wrong. Come on, engage your systems and materialize your weapon, I think we have a couple friends already waiting for us," she says, pointing through the window to… _dragons?!_ There are almost _never_ any monsters in this airspace! Then…! "Come on, Purple. I'm not sure I can do this by myself, if we're being honest."

"...Yes, I will assist you to the best of my abilities, though…"

"We'll cover each other, alright? Don't push yourself," she says reassuringly, patting my shoulder as I approach, having amply prepared myself as the pilot shouts angrily at us. "Let's go."

"Yes, we will defeat these creatures."

Stepping out of the ship simultaneously, we both immediately lift upward, brandishing our weapons before ourselves as the ship zooms away. The two of us exchange looks as she sighs, scratching her head in annoyance. "Now that we've gotten out of their earshot, I'd say that making a detour into Leanbox off in that direction," she points behind us to the right, shaking her head, "might be our best bet. I'm not really ready to fight a full ambush just yet, and I have a feeling you don't, either."

"...No, admittedly, I do not, though I suppose I will if it means surviving, at least. Are you quite sure that the pilot was plotting against us as well?" I ask, watching as she tilts her head toward me, a mild disbelief and hurt flashing in her face.

"Yes, actually, _I am._ If you investigated carefully, that ship also had a few explosive charges mounted into the walls. I shooed him away from what I believed to be the button with my sword so that we wouldn't be chunky fireworks right now," she explains, and I raise an eyebrow in bewilderment and disbelief. She shrugs, narrowing her eyes, "I guess it's fine that you don't really have any trust for me, but I'll admit that it pisses me off. I'll just continue doing what I know I have to and get back to Lastation, and maybe we can forget this whole stupid concept of working together."

"...What? But that's the opposite of what I desire."

"Then _have some more faith in me, damn it._ Flipping your stupid switch and distrusting me as soon as I accuse someone under your city's flag of being a turncoat is a _pretty poor way_ to treat your newest ally and supposed friend. What would I even have to gain by lying about it? But, I guess we can figure this out _after_ we get rid of all that crap coming toward us. We'll wipe out the first wave of them and then make a departure after, alright?"

I try to respond to her, but find myself at a lack of words, so I can only simply nod as I raise my weapon, narrowing my eyes. Six or seven of those giant brown dragons… Goddess, what a mess. Taking a deep breath, I watch as Black Heart immediately dashes forward, swiping her blade horizontally across the neck of one of our foes before quickly diving downward as it attempts to bite at her. It growls in discomfort, the cut apparently too shallow, its wings flapping backwards as multiple dragons zip past it, racing after her. Frowning, I realize that she's at quite a disadvantage, but then…

Shifting my eyes toward the three that she left me with, I sigh. Even now, admittedly, my blade feels heavy in my hands, but I must not yield to the discomfort. Entering a defensive stance, I stare my adversaries down, waiting. Even beside us, I hear the clamor of steel against dragon scale and bone, Black Heart's grunting as she struggles, as they slowly advance on both of us… How to handle this, I wonder…

Suddenly, one lunges forward with its jaw open and claws bared, prepared to attempt to grab me should I duck. Grinning, I wait for another moment… before suddenly flying upward, watching the creature snap at where I had been. Taking the initiative, I dive and plunge my blade into its spine as it snarls, flailing in an attempt to throw me off. Gritting my teeth, I tighten my grip on my weapon and drag it downward, slicing open a jagged line from neck to tail and manage to tug my weapon free, floating back. The dragon lifelessly falls, its back and organs ripped apart in one haphazard motion as I stagger in the air, shifting my shoulders. Letting out an exclamation of pride, I discover a moment too late that my victory is short-lived as another lets loose a fire-blast that collides with me, and I scream out in pain.

Sent flying away, I groan while dazed, shutting my eyes tightly while trying to shake off the hazy feeling in my mind. Come on, Purple Heart - you must _focus_! Opening my eyes, I instinctively twirl in a rapid whirlwind, hurrying to extinguish the flames as they creep agonizingly across the back of my suit and skin, trying to melt and burn away at me. Doing this multiple times until I temporarily cut off air circulation around me, I stop after the burning situation fades, gasping for air, holding a hand to my back to check the damage. A little bit of the material has burned away, unfortunately, and the skin beneath it is tender and painful to touch. Wincing, I shake my head in annoyance, focusing on the rapidly approaching forms of the dragons once more. "This… suit… is _expensive_ , you know?!"

I didn't wish to utilize my shares beyond flight, but perhaps, I am left with few alternatives if I wish to hurry this battle along. Tapping into my share energy, I empower my blade and body briefly, feeling my senses heightening considerably. The dragons' movements dull before me, and my reflexes and body feel lighter than even a feather. Smirking, I furrow my brow as a surge of confidence washes over me. Diving for them, I bring my weapon down diagonally through the neck of the first, pivoting to whirl around, blocking the club-like arm of the second, bringing my leg up to connect into its side. Forced backward, it growls and releases another blast of flame that I immediately slip under. Observing the flames crackling as they hurtle past my face, I flip around to orient myself, dashing after the final drake, activating a skill to imbue my arms with increased speed, I curve my katana to the side and bat the enemy upward before rising up after it, smirking as I instantaneously plunge my weapon through the behemoth's skull. Pressing a foot to its head, I rip my weapon from it, flicking any remnants of it off into the abyss below as its corpse falls down to join the two before it.

Three down. Excellent, considering how sluggish I felt! My heightened abilities slowly begin to fade now, and I peer about the skies, trying to find Black Heart. Where has she gone…? "Black Heart, where have you gone?" I call, floating upward while my eyes continuously scan my surroundings. The sounds of battle have stopped, as well, so I'm a little leery as to what may have occurred while I was preoccupied. Perhaps, did she already depart for Leanbox…?

That seems to be my current best lead. Nodding to myself, I set my focus on Leanbox, my flight systems engaging at full speed as a result, and thus, I begin soaring toward it. I frown, finding the notion to be somewhat strange - immediately departing even if I am currently under attack seems like poor strategic reasoning that I simply cannot really comprehend. Unless… her share energy is lower than what I had first expected?

 _She simply left you to die; that is the truth of it. Accept it - you are a disposable utility to her._

I freeze, my eyes widening as I look around in bewilderment. Where has that voice come from? It doesn't sound like any I have heard before, and it sounded… so sinister. "Black Heart would not betray me so simply, of this I am sure - I care not what your opinion of her is, I will have faith in her."

...No response, it seems. How peculiar… I will have to ask Black Heart if she saw anyone else in the skies besides us when we next reconvene. As Leanbox's edge comes into better view, I pray inwardly that she is already here, so that I am possibly not leaving _her_ in the skies, alone, either. Please, Noire…

 **[Landing on the outskirts of Leanbox, a small rocky clearing bordering on a considerable stretch of forest]**

Setting down carefully onto the grassy crags of Leanbox's outermost edges, I swivel my head around in search of the white-haired CPU, my hand rising to stroke the clumsy braid. I never did redo my hair since this morning, and attempting to do so in the mounting twilight and then darkness may be impossible, and plus… it's somewhat comforting. Reconfirming my determination to locate her, I pace about the clearing, trying to find traces of her, but to no particular luck. Frowning, I feel a sense of increasing apprehension, growing rather anxious now. Surely, she couldn't have…?

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice a small amount of branches have been broken in a haphazard attempt to stumble through the forest ahead of me. Approaching to investigate, I lean down and glance over the branch - there is a lot of blood but not any signs of struggle aside from what seems to be carelessness. The person's legs would have to be on the taller side, and then to the left, quite a few more have broken as if someone were carried. Has someone apprehended Noire? I purse my lips, straightening my posture as I step over the foliage, deciding my current best plan of action to be pursuing the source. Tiptoeing through the wide array of greenery and bushes, I squint as I focus on trying to track down the culprits for this wreckage - the twilight beginning to fade to darkness now, which only really manages to make this venture far more difficult.

If only I would start packing a bag of supplies to strap over my waist for the future, perhaps I wouldn't suffer these sorts of setbacks to the current extent. Then again, had I ever really believed I would need to track torn branches in a forest during the evening, before now? Not particularly.

Minutes pass as even the small insects and birds chirping all around begin to dissipate, and the creatures such as Boxbirds and Dogoos have begun hiding. Now, creatures much more fierce than such small-scale enemies will begin popping up, which unnerves me slightly, but I proceed nonetheless. Every now and then, I could solemnly swear I hear voices or a branch cracking off ahead of me, and I steel my determination to continue forward, drawing my blade to intimidate a pack of wolves eyeing me. Watching as they scatter, I exhale in relief, deciding perhaps my best bet would be to… Activating my flight system, I float upward and soar over the brush and branches, but still below the treeline, listening intently for any possible sounds to give away the other party's positions. The blood stains have gotten more severe now, too, and it occurs to me that, perhaps, if it truly _is_ Black Heart, that she may have passed out from blood loss. This concept is rather troubling to me…

Suddenly, I hear a blade clash against flesh as something snarls, and I narrow my eyes. Movement… ahead and to my left. Nodding to myself, I thank the Goddess for this hint as I fly toward the scuffle, weaving between the numerous trees. Ahead, I see a small clearing illuminated by moonlight, and I smile - another clearing? Perhaps we are destined to always meet in clearings. "Black Heart, are you alright…?!"

Ahead of me, it isn't Black Heart slumped against a tree, but some brown-haired girl clad in blue and black with a gaping sword wound in her stomach while… Green Heart fends off a strange blueish creature that bobbles around. She seems wary of it, even stepping back when it approaches, and I cock my head. She flicks one of her eyes to me and hisses, focusing on the enemy before her.

"If you wish to so cowardly fell me while I defend my own, then I shall forever curse your name from the depths of my heart, Purple Heart! How dare you plan an intrusion as of now?!" she bellows, parrying what seems to be a massive attack from the harmless-looking creature, and I raise a hand, running it through my hair quietly in disbelief. Did I really stumble upon _another_ chance meeting with a fellow CPU? "Leanbox shall never back down to terrorist attacks, even when we are affronted from all sides. Come, then, coward!"

"...Do you require assistance against that creature?" I ask, blinking. She seems really frantic, as even her usual speech seems… weak, I must regretfully rate. Ah, perhaps Black Heart is rubbing off on me, after all. "You seem to be struggling, and while I may not be at peak performance, two blades are better than one, no?"

"...Pardon me? What sort of strange tactic are you employing now? You seek to assist me to stab me in the back afterward?"

"...No, that wouldn't quite be what I am trying to do - I am simply offering you my aid."

"Inconceivable. I will fell this… _creature_ , and then I shall defeat you to find out your true intentions," she states, barely blocking another headbutt from that strange thing as she slides backward, panting. "How absurd that such a minute, pleasant-looking foe could be so ridiculously unbalanced! I will boo anyone that considered its creation a good idea!"

"Well, I believe the woman responsible is long dead, I must admit," I remark, rubbing my chin. That girl laid up against the tree seems… familiar, somehow. Have I seen her somewhere before? "Is that girl alright?"

" _No,_ but that isn't of your concern. I will tend to her wounds as soon as I defeat this creature."

"She's losing quite a pool of blood. You truly do not wish for aid?" I inquire again, taking a step forward as Green Heart's body begins trembling, as if I am somehow embarrassing her. "Are you… alright, Green Heart?"

" _Why_ are you so insistent on aiding us, Purple Heart?! What is your angle?! Why are you suddenly in my territory, offering me your hand in defeating an enemy, when only days ago, we were locked in a bitter battle for superiority?! Did you fall from a great height into the soil and decide you weren't even a CPU, anymore?!" she shouts, her body convulsing slightly with anger as she bats away the creature, miserably failing at stabbing it as it easily dodges her weapon. She always _did_ focus on being well-rounded, rather than specifically inclined to defense, offense, or speed, like Black Heart, White Heart and I are. It seems to be inconveniencing her now. "Why won't you stand still, you cretin? Just allow me to spear you into nothingness so I can save her...! Ah! Stop that!" she cries, knocking it backward as it attacks again.

Sighing, I raise my blade and rub my eyes with my spare hand, wondering how truly relatable she and Black Heart may be. Pride is so inconvenient… not that I am one to judge them so harshly. "Green Heart, knock it backward after you count to three."

"Why?!"

"Just _do it_ , alright?" I command in annoyance, watching her flinch as she nods, relaxing her posture briefly as she prepares. "Now then…," I mumble, focusing wholly on the sea slug, tilting my blade slightly as I engage my flight systems once more, dashing toward them. Green Heart's eyes flicker over to me in wariness, but then return to our common foe as she counts silently, waiting for it to attack. Growling, she parries its attack, kicking it harshly into a tree as it bounces easily off the bark, staggering for a moment. "Excellent, now fall!" I shout, activating one of my skills as I empower my blade, lightening it whilst bringing it upward, carving through the blueish _thing_ numerous times before slashing it upward as I jump, bringing my weapon downward through its head as it bursts into nothingness. Landing afterward, I feel a small amount of its strength seep into me and shake my head, stretching as I yawn, brushing some of my hair away from my face. "There, all has been settled."

Turning my focus to Green Heart, I watch as she dematerializes her weapon, running off to the girl sagging against the tree. She tugs some medicinal brews out of her pouch, opening the girl's mouth to feed her it… from her own lips. My face flushes as I raise a hand, covering my eyes… mostly, soaking in the spectacle as the girl suddenly opens her eyes wide, flailing for a few moments while Green Heart pins her down, continuing to feed her the medicine with a dark grin on her face.

I seem to have stumbled onto something rather private, or Green Heart is a true deviant - especially with such a young girl. Ah, to learn about the other CPUs in some of the most intimate of manners. How… peculiar will this day be, I wonder?

After what I believe to be a half-hour passes, Green Heart seems contented with having fed the girl enough as she leans back, wiping various liquids from her mouth whilst licking her lips, and I purse my lips, frowning. She sits back against the same tree as the scarlet-cheeked teenager, her eyes shifting both skeptically and still quite hatefully onto me. She sighs, closing her eyes, thinking… I believe. That, or she's saying her prayers or going to rest. It's hard to tell.

"What are you actually doing here, Purple Heart?" she inquires suddenly, opening her eyes, her expression newly laced with fatigue. "You have yet to claim my life or even make any moves to do so, and I have yet to confirm them, but sources say you and Black Heart have allied… and possibly proposed… before the world? May you enlighten me on simply _what_ it is, exactly, that you're up to?"

I blink, raising my eyebrows, clapping my hands together. "Ah! Before I do, would you have happened to see No… Black Heart around here? I lost her while over Leanbox airspace while on a journey to Lastation."

"...No, I have not. What has made you briefly stop in my lands?"

"We were ambushed by a horde of dragons that ended up separating us. It was an ambush party from an unknown foe."

Her eyes widen, her attention becoming more acutely focused on me. "Did I hear you correctly? They were full dragons... in this area, and an ambush from an… _unknown_ foe? Are you sure it was not White Heart?"

I frown, crossing my arms. "I can't really tell who is the culprit - a strange woman had interrupted a duel between Black and I in Celestia, who lured me away after stealing my weapon, and had attacked me with a massive machine while distracting Black with a horde of monsters. We believe this woman to be the main culprit, but were wondering if you and White Heart may be involved."

"...Black? You and she are on a nickname basis…? Ah, wait, that isn't the important part. You claim that a stranger and a plethora of monsters appeared to attack you _in Celestia_? Are you alright in the head, Purple Heart? You _do_ realize that Celestia is unreachable aside from the four of us, yes?"

"We thought the same, but our wounds are from creatures aside from us, and the bond that has begun to form between Black and I is proof of such. It seems even parts of Planeptune were in on this endeavor, however, as our pilot that had been designated to bring us to Lastation was actually a conspirator whom intended to detonate the plane with both of us inside it," I explain, watching Green Heart's eyes flutter with befuddlement, bewilderment and disbelief in a collective haze. She pinches her cheek, wincing, as she shifts her gaze to the sky above.

"You are saying that… a large-scale conspiracy is at hand here? While I would tend to say it is impossible, so too did I believe the rumors that Lastation and Planeptune entered a state of ceasefire and diplomatic relations. These are true, aren't they?"

"...Yes, Black and I are no longer going to trade blows. I will affirm that wholeheartedly."

"Are you here to assassinate me, then?"

"No, actually - I wished to invite you to join us."

"...Haah?" she answers, her expression devoid of emotion aside from being utterly dumbfounded. She blinks, looking around for a moment as if she were truly in a dream, rubbing the teenage girl's shoulder. "Hey, Iffy… are we dreaming?"

The teenage girl, finally stabilized from before, focuses her attention on the emerald-haired CPU, shaking her head. "No. The Guild's reports are nearly always accurate, and they are stating the same concept as… Lady Purple Heart herself has."

"...Goddess, how strange. Give me a moment, I must… swallow this entire flow of events," Green Heart requests airily, her eyes reeling in confusion and disbelief and exhaustion. I would honestly state that I feel a pang of sympathy for her, though, this opportunity cannot be wasted. We have finally exchanged words, and I happened upon a successfully randomized event that brought Noire and I one step closer to settling a diplomatic world peace for all of Gamindustri. "Purple Heart… could you come sit with us while we discuss this at length, then?" Nodding, I approach the pair, settling down.

I hope you're alright out there, Noire.

* * *

 **Pretty sure Cliones make no sense whatsoever. They're so tiny and feeble, and just, _bam_ , you're dead and you're not even sure why. Running into the first one in the original HDN was actually kind of strange, as it was my first-ever encounter, and I remember shooting it, thinking I'd be able to kill it in a battle of attrition... for IF to get OHKO'd instantaneously. Hooray for fleeing.**

 **IF/Vert is adorable. Re;birth V1 made that clear. Blanc-Vert is an adequate secondary. Maybe Blanc can be forever by herself, since reading/writing is life, it seems. Anyway, set a couple of vague things out for next chapter and stuff way later, so hope you all enjoyed this. I think it flowed pretty well, considering there was a fourteen hour break in the middle. RIP.**

Also, I'll probably upload again before this, but, happy Halloween, you guys. :) A good day for indulging in horror games, movies, and anime, or going out to grab some sweets, or even dressing up with your significant other in cosplay. Literally. Or, just stay at home, read fanfictions, and treat it the same as any other day. Up to you!

Anyway, I'm out of random stuff to throw down here that is relevant to the main story. Cheers, guys.

Tainted out.~


	5. Mission Noire, the Mistress Heart

**Happy Halloween! Sorry that this took a while. Tainted here, posting up the newest installment before I get busy today with some real life stuff. I wanted to finish this yesterday, but I had some real life stuff come up so I couldn't. Instead, I hope it lives up to expectations, and progresses things at least a little bit more - for Black Heart's sake, more than anything.**

 **Now, we find out where Black Heart went! And the events that follow! But, what occurred with PH and GH? A mystery...**

 **Onward!**

* * *

Why does this sort of crap _always_ happen to me?!

I cling silently to the rock face on the rim of Leanbox, holding my other hand tightly to my shoulder in an attempt to stem blood flowing from me in copious amounts. Damn that stupid little Guild agent and Green Heart - they played me for an idiot and stabbed me in the back after pretending they were innocent. They probably _are_ in on the assassination ploy, after all.

Damn it, where is Purple? She ought to have wrapped up with those stupid dragons a while ago, and I haven't seen her since our minor spat about the aerocraft. I mean, yeah, I lost my head a little, but I can't blame myself - she's so spontaneous and trusting, it's almost annoying. I didn't think that merited ditching me, though. That, or she might've come here and stumbled upon Green Heart and the agent, now, too, which is really just bad news. Hopefully, she'll be more careful than I was - but I doubt it, since the trust factor I keep foolishly putting faith in is her fault to begin with. This isn't good.

Then again, I've been here since twilight, and now that it's pretty dark, perhaps I can get the hell out of here and do some investigative work… or at least patch up this new gash. I already had a few cuts and scratches from the dragons, too, but this one's considerably more deep. Ugh, hurts, too - better find a way to clean it before it gets infected… Narrowing my eyes on the jagged stone spikes jutting, I purse my lips, raising my legs carefully one at a time, moving slowly as to avoid losing my balance. Glancing down at my feet, I recall that I have sharp points at the end of my shoes, and I blink. I wonder… _Crunch_ , success! Having discovered yet another use for my combat suit's design, I firmly plant my feet into the wall whenever I raise my arm, easily proceeding up the wall - well, as well as can be expected for one arm, really. Firmly gripping the grassy soil of the surface of the continent, I hoist myself upward onto it, exhaling softly. There's one matter resolved, though my problems with this wound aching and my inability to harness my share energy for a little while are both still pretty severe in comparison. Why can't I ever have an easy time with this stuff?

Muttering curses to the Goddess for my treatment lately, I pull myself to my feet once more, looking about. I don't know a whole lot about Leanbox's monster patterns, though I do know that nighttime usually isn't pleasant for the unprepared adventurer. Huh, I _am_ like an adventurer right now. If only I had three others for a hunting party. Oh well. Rolling my good shoulder, I yawn quietly, deciding randomly to trek off into the forest to the left in search of some medicinal herbs, hopefully. I frown, noticing my field of vision darkening considerably more under the trees, but I suppose I'll have to live with this inconvenience… for now. Tiptoeing over the numerous tree branches, bushes and flora, I drag a finger along the bark of trees that I pass, marking them in case I become disoriented. Nodding to myself, I begin to praise myself for my work alone - I haven't typically needed to depend on anyone until now, and I seem to continue doing just fine by myself, so maybe this separation was for the best. Not that I hope she's hurt, and in fact, that concept causes my heart to ache - a newly-acquired irritating feeling thanks to her, no less. Inconvenient.

I hear something snarl off to my right, my eyes shifting to attempt to find it as I materialize my sword, as I poise myself for combat. Peering about, I click my tongue - it's so stupidly dark, how do these people even live with this? I ought to install a couple lights in our forests when I get back to Lastation. Rustling off to my left breaks this musing, and I raise my blade slowly… and it lunges, a heftily-sized wolf after my throat. Reacting instantaneously, I swipe at it, cutting it cleanly in half as I duck, allowing its blood to stain the tree and ground instead of my hair. Nodding, I dematerialize my weapon, scratching another mark onto the tree as I proceed once more, plucking a couple herbs along the way. Mainly, I have to find… wait, what the hell is that blue slug thing floating toward me? My body feels so tense and shaky, is this some sort of joke?

It seems intent on battle, though my instincts tell me to currently avoid it… so I do just that, walking away from it at a faster pace than before, ignoring it to the best of my ability as I search for the sound of running water that sluggishly begins to enter my ears… pun not intended. Rolling my eyes at myself, I continue my trek, dicing through another couple of wolves and lizardmen creatures on the way, and before I can say 'I'm so talented,' I end up at the riverbank of what I presume to be a main Leanbox water flow, considering its width and how far it expands into the shrouded distance. Pacing along the slightly muddy edge for a few minutes, I busy myself with plucking out a couple staple flowers and herbs that I am sure concoct an adequate healing agent. Glancing down to investigate my shoulder, I wince in disgust - it stopped bleeding for the most part, but it's beginning to look bad from all of the movement and climbing from before. Can I clean it out utilizing just a couple herbs and some water…? Well, hopefully this new one that I plucked along the way is some sort of extremely fast-acting disinfectant, since I can't wait to ferment it like vinegar. It _smells_ safe, at least.

... _Ouuuuch_ , crap crap crap, that smarts like _hell_. Splashing some water over the wound, I try to wipe out and cut out some of the discolored skin, bandaging it with a little bit of my suit and some plant fibers that I washed out, tying it tightly to cut off the blood-flow as best I can. Nodding slowly, I feel a little light-headed now, so I quickly drink some water and then splash a bit more onto my face before standing up, peering down the length of the river. This seems to be my best bet, really, since I don't know how long I have with this shoulder and no supplies. Lastation Survival Kit, I'll pick you up when this is all said and done.

Same with stabbing that Guild agent. I do believe I will give her her comeuppance. _Especially_ if they hurt Purple in my absence, since I really do expect that she likely stumbled upon them in the same way I did - why else would Green Heart randomly be out in the middle of the forest with some teenage pipsqueak? Romantic rendezvous are _so_ out of style. Then again, it _is_ Green Heart… Ugh, that's uncomfortable to try and visualize.

Sighing, I brush away some wet, loose hair from my face, flicking any spare water droplets off my gloves to then wring some of my hair dry, grumbling about a need for a shower later. Since I won't really get anywhere just by sitting here, and I unfortunately know that Purple won't be showing up - not that I really _want_ her to, but it would've been nice - I decide my best course of action will be to continue forward down this river and trace it back to Leanbox, to hopefully ascertain whether that purple-haired dolt arrived here, and if I'm too well-known to purchase a room and some medical supplies for the night. Maybe I ought to raid a store, dye my hair black and put in some red contact lenses, and become a twin-tailed Goddess for all men and women alike… ah, that sounds ridiculous to me but entertaining nonetheless. Smirking to myself, I hurriedly pace down the river, keeping my eyes peeled for any plausible ambushes from above or the forest, figuring the river to be safe enough to trust for the time being.

Needless to say, it's an uneventful trip. I just walk and walk, slowly mixing up the river-based herbs into the usual ointment, applying it gingerly to the outer edges of my wounds and then rubbing it wherever else I want, since it makes for a good moisturizer and an excellent softening solution for skin, too. Even I have priorities, after all. Soon, I end up walking onto a small hill overlooking what seems to be a tropical park on the outskirts of Leanbox, and cock an eyebrow. It's nearly empty, save a handful of couples doing what couples do best in the dark, in secluded areas, alone. Feeling my cheeks flush slightly at this, I shake my head and force a certain person's image out of my mind, focusing on the current objectives. I _could_ force a couple to work with me, or perhaps I can find someone sappy enough to help me _without_ intimidation.

Utilizing the darkness to my advantage, I proceed through the park unnoticed for the most part, typically only being spotted by mostly the boyfriends or 'male' halves of the couples who disgustingly ogle me, and I feel pangs of sympathy when the female halves often trap them in their distasteful habits. If you're going to pick someone, stick with them, pal.

Successfully exiting the tropical scene, I find myself in front of some store. Blinking, I consider my options… and enter, finding a successfully clueless citizen who praises me for my cosplay-and-or-adventurer dedication as I pick up some medical supplies, some bags, and actually, some dye and contact lenses, alongside a new outfit and some ribbons for my hair. If we're going to do this, we might as well go all out, right? Not that cosplay is an interest of mine, of course, but I'm just thorough. Yeah.

Being pointed toward some random inn further down the road, I thank the shopkeep and successfully proceed down the road with no interruptions as I enter the inn. Peering about, I find myself surprised about the peace and calm of the scene - there are far less drunk or suspicious louts than I'd expect for a Leanbox rent-a-room, though, there aren't any taverns around here, so maybe that's the reason. Ah, wait, this is the couples scene. My mistake.

Approaching the counter, I am greeted by some red-haired girl that seems to be straight out of an adventuring fantasy novel. She smiles, bowing her head as we briefly discuss how pleasant her outfit looks before I purchase a room on the premise that I just got back from slaying a few monsters and just want to immediately hit the sack. As this somehow works, I depart for my room, wondering just how simple-minded most of Green Heart's populace is. Well, actually, Leanbox demographics… sigh. Just buy a Lastation console and join the larger spectrum of faces, really.

Opening the door to my room, I quickly discover it's the usual setting - white double bed on a wooden frame in the back left corner, a window in the center of the back wall to overlook the road and lights of the main city, a desk and chair of simple design in the back right corner, a rather tiny bathroom straight to my right, and a wardrobe to my immediate left. Light comes in the form of a cheaply-made chandelier above, and I roll my eyes as I proceed into the bathroom, resting on the side of the tub while fishing out some medical supplies from my previous purchase. Slipping my suit off of my shoulders, I let it fall down without another thought after locking the door when I entered as I set to work.

 _Ouch_ , it's even more tender now. Disinfecting the wound really smarts now, and I have to admit, I feel my eyes watering over the consistent sting and burn, though as I wrap it carefully after cleaning it out, washing it, and drying it off, I feel much better knowing that I won't have to worry so much about succumbing to an infection. Doing the same for my other cuts and bruises, I briefly wash my legs and body off with a rag in the tub, opting to avoid a shower or lengthy time spent focusing on my personal care for the time being - I can never be sure if I will be attacked, and I have to get back to work, really. Glancing over to the sink, I sigh. Do I really want to do this to my hair? I love it for being so brilliantly white, and dyes like this will… maybe I'll do it some other time, if I _really_ have to. After all, some touch-ups to my hair, outfit and changing my eye color should be more than enough… I hope. Wait, maybe I should have just bought a wig. Oops.

Nodding to myself, I decide wholeheartedly to forgo the dying process and instead strip, quickly looking over my body for any missed scars or wounds, and once satisfied, I set my attention to instead work on applying the contacts while styling my hair. Tying my hair tightly into twin tails in the very back, I slip into a sleeveless white school uniform over a black collared shirt and red tie, also ensuring I add the strange shoulderless… arm socks, I guess you could call these? They're white, ending in an orange band under a black cuff, much like parts of the shirt and boots. And this _skirt_ , what the hell is up with how short this is? Or… am I just too tall to cosplay as this character? She seems far shorter than I first anticipated… but oh well, I guess. Time to check the mirror.

...I could pull it off, really well, actually. That's kind of scary. Hm, this pose looks nice, and I like this one, too… Ah! Wait, right, investigative work. Almost forgot. Shaking my head, I rid myself of thinking of self-praise, exhaling softly as I stretch my back. Goddess, I'm exhausted. Purple, you _better_ appreciate the amount of crap I'm going to have to go through for finding you. Alright, well, I suppose I ought to go ahead and get something to eat briefly before I go look around a little. Nodding, I tidy up the room, storing my real outfit in a pouch that I picked up, alongside storing the rest of the medical supplies in another. Exiting the room, I lock it up as I head downstairs… to find some green-colored Basilicom guards speaking to the red-haired girl.

"...You haven't seen her? Are you sure? You may be harboring a terrorist," one guard mutters to the woman, and she scratches her head, frowning. Her eyes flick over to me before returning to the guards, and she shrugs.

"I let some red-eyed girl with silver hair stop by earlier, she's right over there if you want, but I'm really sure she isn't Lady Black Heart. That girl wrote her name down as Esla. Ah, but please don't harass my customers too much, alright?"

They shift their attention onto me, blinking while exchanging befuddled looks as they mutter something, then shake their heads. One bows, saluting. "My apologies, Miss Falcom. She doesn't fit the description, after all. We'll leave you to it, then. Have a good night," they say, departing, as the girl named Falcom turns to smile softly at me.

"Good luck, my Lady. I hope you get to the bottom of this. Oh, and, um," she beckons me closer, even despite her whispering just now. "I hear that Lady Purple Heart is currently spending some quality time at Lady Green Heart's estate, admiring the scenery. I would recommend you depart there, if you're here for that."

"...Thank you, I appreciate it. How believable is this disguise?" I ask, knowing that it would be far better to treat this girl as an ally than an enemy. She smiles, nodding as she holds up a thumb in approval, I think.

"You really look nothing like yourself, and I see that you cleaned up a little bit. Awesome work. Come back here anytime, I'll reserve your room for a few days… Esla."

"Thank you, Miss Innkeeper. I'll be sure to drop by before I must depart once more. Take care of yourself, please."

"Of course. I look forward to what Planeptune and Lastation may do for this world."

We exchange knowing smiles before I turn on my heel, departing from the inn as I return to the road, and I frown as a gust of wind attempts to lift my skirt. This is going to be somewhat hindersome. Sighing, I grumble about not investing in spandex as I proceed forward, looking to the main hub of Leanbox. So, Purple really did link up with them and end up captured? Or is there something stranger at work here? It's hard to tell, really, especially when I continue to lack most of the facts. It's like I'm not even the main protagonist of the current slew of events, and it's almost annoying… or am I? Haah, hard to tell anymore.

Regardless of my griping, I actually manage to walk along the stretch of Leanbox with no real problems, surprisingly. I mean, of course it helps that it's quiet and there aren't many people out and about, but, I do admit that it's almost peculiar how well my current trip has gone since my first run-in here. Maybe I _should_ go back to working by myself, at this rate… as if. I actually am beginning to really miss that violet-haired harebrain's company now. It's been so quiet and serene, I have to wonder if this was all a dream up to now, or if it's all always been here, and we were all just blind to the possibility of all being able to be friends from the beginning.

It's all blurring now, so I can't really differentiate between the two. I need to rescue Neptune and then get the hell out of here so I can go take a much-needed nap. I'm exhausted.

Wait a minute, would the dungeon be at the Basilicom? Something tells me that it might not be, especially since it's Green Heart that we are talking about. It might branch off into some underground facility, or something. Or even, ooh boy, a secret back entrance, because Green Heart is such an avid cliche gamer. Maybe I'm just being snarky, but it sounds highly plausible.

I should have asked Falcom more questions. This is a problem.

Well, time to look around for a little while, I guess.

 **[About an hour later, after a plethora of trekking aimlessly around Leanbox]**

...Sigh, that wasn't even describable as a 'little while'. Then again, I also finally came to the possible conclusion that maybe she isn't even at the prisons here at all, so there could be that. Maybe, I ought to just drop into the Basilicom here for a while. I see it, smack-dab in the center of town, a cube-like structure with massive green windows in the shape of some odd console that I haven't even ever seen Leanbox put out. Eh, whatever, it _is_ kind of pretty. I need to do some remodeling later with Lastation's outward appearance - it feels more like a cathedral back home than a tower or building to act as a base of operations from. But, I'm getting ahead of myself, probably. Okay, let's see about a quick jaunt around the exterior…

...Nope, no accurate sighting of them on the outermost rooms, or at least nowhere that I can see from the first floor. Maybe I need to check the second story…? But, that would either require flight or commandeering a building's upper floors, which _would_ draw attention, too. Damn it, why is this so complicated? Perhaps I ought to just talk to a few people and ask if they've seen Purple… but that could draw attention too. Huh, let's try to remain inconspicuous and eavesdrop then…

"Have you seen that new release? Goddess Online, I think it was. One hell of a game, man. Lady Green Heart's models are so _realistic_ , uhuhu." This hereby feels as my typical Leanbox image of Green Heart's loyal populace, honestly. I bet he plays nothing besides FPS, too...

"Yeah, man, but I heard that just got in trouble for trying to incorporate the Purple and Black Hearts since the new declaration. Shame, too, since they have great _assets_ too." Ugh, don't even breathe my name, 'man.' That's gross.

"Didn't Lady Green Heart come in with some chick that looked like Purple Heart, too? Thought I recognized those hips." You know CPUs by their _hips?!_

"I dunno, man. My eyes were elsewhere. There's this really cute blue-haired singer hanging around, popping up now and then. She's top-tier waifu." Ooh, a singer? I might want to meet her… wait, wrong priorities, Noire! Get it together!

"Over Lady Green Heart's perfection?! Man, we might not be friends anymore." I hope you both part ways and then get smacked around by some Dogoos or something.

"Excuse me, you both, but I believe that your conversation is beginning to sincerely bother female residents around you," a voice appears suddenly, patting both of the men by their backs. They whirl around, and I raise an eyebrow - brown hair, green bow, new blue suit and black undershirt, serious and maybe somewhat clever face… it's the chick that I stabbed when they attacked me. Damn, she heals fast. "And frankly, I am, too. Please dismiss yourselves to talk about your gross delusions elsewhere. And also… _if you don't continue to pledge your first priority to serving Lady Green Heart, I'll show you what true darkness looks like._ "

"Ah, Lady IF! Uh, we're sorry, we'll be leaving now. C'mon man, let's go."

"Y-yeah, sorry man. We'll not do it again… _but our hearts and bodies will always yearn for Lady Green Heart, so don't worry!_ " Ewwww…

She nods, frowning in what can be read as both disgust and satisfaction as she crosses her arms, sighing. Brushing some hair from her face, she looks about, muttering into a phone that she pulled out from her belt, and I narrow my eyes. _Why are there so many fricking phones?!_ Are people here just _that_ abnormal?! She winks at me knowingly before continuing her rounds, it looks like, and I blink. She's friendly outside attacking me, I guess, and is an okay person… but that doesn't mean I shouldn't try to take her hostage and use her to get into the Basilicom. Though, how would I do that…?

Or maybe I can just force my way through the door, or something. Now I feel a little bad about stabbing her so deeply—no, actually, I don't. I _lost_ to someone besides Purple, and that actually makes my blood boil. Waving to her, I trot as happily as I can over to her, ensuring I try to alter how my voice comes out. Those late-night attempts were all for this moment - let's see if they paid off…

"Hiya, hiya~, thanks for getting rid of those creeps, ma'am.~" I chirp, beaming at her. She nods, grinning as she shrugs.

"No problem, miss. Glad to have helped out. If anything else comes up, let me know and I'll deal with it, alright?"

"Amazing~! Actually, then, could you… maybe help me with some creepy goons hanging around over there? They were being really gross and kept talking about why Lady Purple Heart was superior to Lady Green Heart in every way, and it kinda' bothered me," I explain, contorting my face to mimic being upset. She narrows her eyes, cracking her knuckles as her nostrils flare, nodding.

"I'll deal with them. There's no way that Lady Green Heart is anything but the most dependable Goddess."

This is going to hurt. "I agree wholeheartedly! She's so much cooler than the others! Ahh, Lady Green Heart~!" Ugh, I need some strong soap and something to hit, now.

"Heh, I know. You're really an okay person. Let's go find those guys and get them back on the right path." Well, I don't suppose I can inquire as to why a Planeptune agent is working out of Leanbox right now, especially with how focused she is on maintaining Green Heart's public image right now, but she seems loyal enough. I think Guild agents are loyal to Goddesses outside of their main base of operations, anyway, so maybe that explains this entire string of events… I guess.

I lead her back down the street I came from, and as fate would ironically have it, a group of guys actually _is_ discussing Purple versus Green Heart, and what seems to be the most normal of the group is actually arguing that White Heart beats out both of them. Do I not matter?

"Hey, you guys. I know you might have different opinions, but shouldn't you be showing your allegiance to Lady Green Heart instead of discussing the other Goddesses? We are loyal Leanbox supporters, are we not?"

They exchange sheepish looks, scratching their heads. "Sorry, Lady IF, but… _Lady Purple Heart and Lady Black Heart are so adorable together!_ Two Goddesses instead of one, they're like… double what Lady Green Heart is by herself!" "The only way for Lady Green Heart to outdo Lastation and Planeptune is to take Lady White Heart as her slave and pet!~" "Lady Purple Heart and Lady Black Heart are kinda' more my type…" "Have you _seen_ Lady Purple Heart? Total _baaabe._ " "Flat is justice, and you are all heretics!" "But why aren't you all praising the Tsun?!" "Uh, guys…"

IF is shaking with anger, and I'm staring at them in disgust. I didn't really need to see the four of us discussed in this manner, especially considering the lack of me in this entire thing - besides as a supporting lover to Purple. Am I not enough? I feel like sulking. This is Purple's fault for that speech.

Speaking of which, my shares are dangerously low-feeling, now. Maybe, like, twenty percent overall? What the hell's going on in Lastation?

"You… traitors… How _dare_ you all turn on Lady Green Heart over some floozies who just fall all over each other?!" No, we don't. Does it really look like that? "Besides the person stating the truth about… s-small chests, you all are about to be charged with disturbing the peace unless you get out of my sight right now." I think I found another kindred soul for White Heart. Poor girls.

They gasp and exchange bewildered and intimidated looks, quickly excusing themselves before departing, alongside everyone else in the street, leaving me fully alone with IF. Wow, this worked out. I glance down at her as her shoulders quake, and I frown - she looks genuinely upset that Green Heart got trashed under us, the better—I mean, the difference of taste that people hold. Satisfying, but likely troubling if this chick's as tight with Green Heart as I suspect she is. I pat her shoulder, shaking my head, in an attempt to offer condolences. She turns her attention to me, sighing.

"They don't appreciate what she is and tries to do, like we do," she mutters, running a hand through her hair. I almost feel bad for what I'm about to do. Almost. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and whatnot - I'm still holding a grudge over that ambush.

Sliding my arm to her back, I pat it, nodding. "Yeah, Green Heart's got some decent people surrounding her, too. I'm actually kind of impressed. I'll give her more credit than I first thought she deserved."

"Eh…?" she shifts her eyes to me, raising an eyebrow as I raise my hand suddenly, wrapping around the back of her throat as I hoist her into the air, tightening my grip to cut off any attempts to escape or make a scene. I also crush that stupid microphone with my spare hand, narrowing my eyes. "...Ghk!"

"In case you didn't figure it out," I say, carrying her easily into an alley - glad that my normal strength even outside of my share energy far outweighs a normal person's to begin with, "I'm Black Heart, the one that you two betrayed on my arrival here. I may not be at one hundred percent functionality, but I still have enough strength to crush your throat before anyone even knows what happened to you. Now, look at me," I state coldly, watching her eyes fearfully lower onto my person as I run a hand through my bangs, sighing. "I'd rather not end your life like this, and frankly, Green Heart needs more allies like you, so I'm going to offer you a fair opportunity. You _will_ accept, or you _will_ die and I will likely see to it that so does Green Heart." I smile, tilting my head innocently as she tries to make a sound in disapproval, finishing my bargain. "Let's get along well, okay, IF? Heehee."

She nods weakly, and I drop her to the ground as I ruffle her hair, handing her a bottle of ointment. "For your throat, so there's no marks. Now, all I care about is finding out where Purple Heart is. Spill it, let's get this done with, so I can get the hell out of this country."

"You… you're as cutthroat as Lady Green Heart… agh… Did you have to do that to my neck…?"

"Don't make it sound weird. I did what I had to, since we're both seemingly victims of our partners' decisions. Where the hell is that purple-haired idiot?" I state, crossing my arms while narrowing my eyes on her. "And don't mount any escape attempts - I _can_ drag all of Leanbox into a genocide if need be."

"You're terrible. I _told_ her that a wound like that wouldn't kill you, but _nooo_ , she doesn't listen, and instead focuses on the gaping hole you left in my stomach. That really hurt, you know."

"So did the giant wound in my shoulder, kiddo. I'm not here to make friends, I was here to get the hell away from some stupid ambush, and walked into yet another with a fellow CPU. Be grateful that I'm trying to be diplomatic at all, because I'm actually pretty mad still."

"I'll bet, but I'm afraid I can't really help you with the whole 'diplomatic' thing. Lady Purple Heart is in Lady Green Heart's room at the moment, though I don't really know what else is going on considering she told me to go handle crowd control for dragging her through the town."

"Why the hell does Purple Heart get special treatment when I got stabbed? This is so unfair."

"For the same reason that me being nice stuck me at your mercy. I'll learn from it."

"So will I - I'll continue with subdue and then ask since Purple Heart's blind faith in people seems to only work for her." I sigh, shaking my head as I run a hand through some of my dried hair from when I splashed water on my face in the river. I groan, fretting. "My haiiirrr…"

She glances up at my face, smirking. "You're probably the most logical out of the four Goddesses, but don't think that I will change my allegiance." I blink, raising an eyebrow as I shrug nonchalantly, and she coughs, her expression returning to solemnity. "So, you want me to get you into the Basilicom _without_ causing a ruckus?"

"Yeah, since terrorizing the people here feels wrong, even if they don't give me nearly enough credit. Jerks."

"It comes with being the straight man in the relationship. Maybe we have more in common…"

"I-I-I'm _not_ dating Purple, despite what the rumors say! Please, be one of the first to understand. I'm just a victim of circumstance!"

"Then why is your face so red, and why are you smiling slightly?"

"S-shut up, I'll stab you."

We pause, chuckling with one another as I help her up, dusting her clothing off to the best of my abilities as she raises a thumb in approval. "Nice costume, by the way. A bit big in the bust, but it works," she rates, nodding at me.

"Surprisingly, yeah, it really does. You really didn't pick up on it being me?" I ask as we begin walking out of the alley, and she shakes her head, grinning. Coughing, I glance around at the passersby, upturning my lips. "Wow, wow, impressive!~"

"Goddess, that's such a massive one-eighty in your personality. It's kind of scary. Anyway, um… Esla… I'll give you that audience with Lady Green Heart that you wanted, okay?"

I clap my hands together, attempting to smile as my eye twitches. I feel like I've lost some of my pride, and it irritates me to no end. "Amazing, amazing~. Thank you, Iffy!"

"... _Iffy?_ "

" _Iffffffy!~_ "

"...I'm sorry about your pride, but please don't take it out on me," she whispers.

"...I'll think about it~."

We return to the main square, and quickly sort out a couple more gross fanatics before we exchange knowing looks, and she escorts me in through the entrance as she greets the guards. At different times, I consider whether she seems to contemplate betraying me, or if she's genuinely going to assist me, and as we step into the secluded stairwell, I cough.

"You're going along with this rather easily. Why?" I inquire, and her face reddens as she looks away, scratching her head.

"Lady Purple Heart is… getting in the way, if we'll be honest, but you _better_ keep that between us, Black Heart."

"Yeah, yeah, like I benefit from blackmailing you… wait, why am I the only one with a respectful title omitted?"

"It's… totally because we're allies of coincidence and suffering… yeah."

"I'm _so_ ratting you out later, now."

"No, no, Lady Cruel Heart!"

"I swear to Goddess, you're snarky." We laugh, taking a moment to allow our composure to return as we continue our journey through the Basilicom, and honestly, I don't know what I expected. It's a whole lot of cube-shaped offices and massive game-test and anime-production areas in such a disorganized mess that I really wonder how they manage to keep track of everything. And let's not discuss the Green Heart goods they have plastered everywhere. Big Sister is watching, huh?

Now, we stop at one of the offices, and I hear a lot of chatter within. I blink, crossing my arms as we wait for everyone to pass by, and I sigh. "Have they been… just talking, while I was working hard to survive on my own?"

"...Y-yup, that might be a way of putting it lightly. Lady Green Heart seemed to be much softer-seeming in dealing with Lady Purple than you, Mistress Heart."

"I'm going to gut them both at this rate," I mutter, sighing. "Thanks for showing me the way. Maybe we can hang out as actual acquaintances later. Give me a few minutes."

"I'm coming in with you, I'll just stand off to the side to ensure things don't get too chaotic. You look seriously pissed, actually."

"Maybe there's a reason for it, you know?"

"Oh, I know, but try not to kill them. They're both highly important to both of us."

"Yeah, I got it. Anyway… _Excuse us!_ " I shout, trying the door. Locked, of course. My right eye twitches, and I sigh as I kick the lock, forcing the door open as I step in, my eyes scanning over the scene. The bed off to the back right of the room is spotless, but everywhere else is a bunch of… man-on-man merchandise and hundreds of stacks of games. Goddess, this is even worse than Purple's room turned out to be, by leagues. My inner maid aches to tidy up, but I especially refuse for Green Heart, instead opting to narrow my eyes on the forms of Purple and Green Heart sipping tea, their attention and heads turned to focus on me.

"Iffy, I thought I told you we were busy. And who might this be?" Green Heart says so casually and warmly, I actually feel slightly sick. "We are in the middle of serious political talks, don't you understand?"

"S-sorry, Lady Vert! I, um, had a good reason for intruding, so…," IF states, her face bright red as she eyes me with pleading eyes. What, you want help?

"...I suppose we must have some private talks later, Iffy," Green Heart, or… Vert, says. How fitting that both she and I have names relating to our colors. If White Heart is Blanc, I swear… "Now, who might this be…? She seems far too well-built to be the character of which she is dressed, but nowhere near comparable to myself, teehee."

Teehee? I'll cut those off—ah, wait, I'm not the flat CPU. Why feel so insulted? Probably because she flaunts them like they're special. I cough, clearing my throat. "Hello, Green Heart, Purple. It's so lovely to see you both, getting along so well."

"...Do you know her, Neptune?"

"No, I do not, Vert. She seems vaguely familiar, however. Perhaps an old friend or acquaintance?"

Something inside me snaps as I let my hair down, taking out my contacts as I materialize my blade, narrowing my eyes. Pointing it at them, I sigh. "I'm genuinely annoyed now, you two. If this doesn't get the point across, maybe stabbing you both for old time's sake will."

"...Ah!" Purple's eyes light up as she sets her cup down, standing up as she runs over to me… tackling me. "Black!~ You're alright!" she squeals, snuggling into me as I stare at her in bewilderment. Aah… aah… close… warm… crap, mind's warm and fuzzy from _just this?_ _Are you kidding me?!_

"G-get the hell off me, I'm annoyed with you, Purple!" I attempt to command, my voice hitching slightly as she nuzzles into me, her stupid face beaming. "G-G-Goddess damn it, can you at _least_ try to explain… H-hey, get your face out of my shirt. Stop, that tickles! Aah…"

"...I truly do understand your frustrations now, Mistress Heart," IF nods to me, offering a small prayer of sympathy as she sighs, shooing the people gathering at the door away.

"...Ah, so this is Black Heart, once more?" Green Heart says coldly, and I flick my eyes over to her, forcibly prying Purple off out of instinct. "...Hm?"

"I haven't forgotten you ambushing me, bitch. I don't appreciate that sort of greeting," I growl, standing up before a bewildered Purple Heart and a frowning IF. "If you have a personal problem with me, that's fine, but if you're just trying to fool Purple here…"

"...Black, what is going…?"

"...No, I suppose now that I have spoken to Neptune and have confirmed your stories matching, and that you are now here, that I must accept that you had no wrongful intentions from the beginning."

"...Hey, may I ask…?"

"Or maybe I should cut that head from your neck and confirm you aren't working against us? Or better yet, _your chest._ "

She gasps, covering herself while materializing her spear. "You _wouldn't dare!_ "

"I would, and I do hold a grudge. Now, are we doing this, or…?"

"...Blacky." Eh? I blink, glancing down at Purple who grabs my wrist, frowning. "So you don't ignore me when I utilize _that_ nickname. I will remember that. May I ask what exactly has transpired?"

"...That's perhaps a long story, and one that I must admit, may be shameful to admit. It all began at twilight, under a romantic and stifling sun. Sweat glistened down my…"

"I dropped down on the crags on the edge of Leanbox before you as my share energy ran out after fending off those dragons, and I ran into them. I tried being diplomatic, and when I turned my back, they attacked me, so I stabbed IF over there through the stomach before falling off in an attempt to make them think I fell into the abyss. Clinging to a rock for a few hours, I climbed my way back up at nightfall and you were already nowhere to be found, so I had to journey through the forest, disinfect my wounds, break into the city, take IF hostage and then learn we share similar circumstances, and then we arrived here. That about sum it up?"

"...I genuinely missed your short and sweet informal speech. It is good to have you back, Blacky."

"...S-shut up. I came because I had to find my ally. Nothing more."

"...Now then, though. Perhaps, you ought to sit down with us, so that we may finish our discussion and exchange of information. Would that be alright, Green Heart?"

She sighs, nodding as she dematerializes her weapon, settling into her chair. "So be it, Iffy, come join us." IF raises an eyebrow, shocked, and she smiles, nodding. "I need my wonderful cuddly toy to sit with me while we speak, since you seem wrapped in the current events regardless - and I shan't let Black Heart have you."

"Black Heart shall not fall to anyone, as she is my closest friend. Black, we shall sit together, arm in arm, pressed together…"

" _Please, for the love of all that is holy, both of you, just shut up so we can get started on this._ "

* * *

 **Sorry if this ending seems a little rushed. I have to head off for now, but I think I ended this segment/POV off on a good note. Reunion!**

 **I like the kindred friendship between IF and BH. It's fun, and I think I have the characters' behavior down pretty well. Am I improving? Hopefully!**

Note; Isla, Plastic Memories. Might be a bit hard to tell.

And yeah! Nod to other characters, too! Alongside some snarky and embarrassing Black Heart/Noire quirks and commentary!

I'll leave stuff nice and short and sweet here, since I need to go as it is. I hope you all enjoyed the update as much as I enjoyed writing it out. I'll see about a timely sixth segment under PH's POV soon, but it might be a day or two. Regardless, I look forward to seeing you all again, soon. :D

Tainted out.~


	6. The Great Debate, then, Miscommunicate!

**Sup, everybody. Tainted here, came up with something since last night. It may have taken a drastic 180 toward the latter half of the story, but I figured it was plot-relevant so I didn't go for a halfway revamp. After all, dragging it out is what sets a one-shot from a real topsy-turvy story, right?**

 **Not much occurs - a semi-debate between the three Hearts, some teasing, and suddenly the revelation for Purple Heart that _maybe, just maybe_ , the teasing isn't just... teasing. Bum, bum, bummmm?**

 **(update; personal thank-you to Gigarot for noticing something that I never even considered/picked up on. :D)**

 **Anyway, read it and see how it goes.**

* * *

Settling back down into the sofas, I _ensure_ Black Heart is firmly ensnared by me via her arm tucked firmly between mine. Pinning it against myself, I lean gently on her, eyeing Vert with a frown. So, she attacked Noire when she arrived? That would explain her absence, and Iffy's wound, but, it does actually make my blood burn with a want for vengeance, slightly. How petty of me…

"D-do you _have_ to cling to me like this, Purple? This is _really_ uncomfortable," Black whispers, her cheeks dusted crimson as she tries wiggling her arm, managing only to settle it against me even further. Perhaps there is a use for being so feminine, after all - Vert's continuous glorification of the feminine form may not be farfetched. Though, that isn't the only reason - having her close and in contact with me is strangely reassuring, to state it simply. "Why are you so warm, anyway…?" she mutters, sighing.

"I have always run somewhat warmer than most, apparently. I insist on being joined so that I do not lose you once more," I remark, knowing my word choice will… I smile, watching her face light up as she toys with her hair quietly. Turning my attention to the other two across from us, I discover that Iffy's _treatment_ has already commenced - a rather vivid scene of lips locked in a tight embrace, as the scenario borders on exceptionally lewd. My mind flashes back to previous moments as I flick an eye to Black Heart, feeling my cheeks redden slightly as I exhale, narrowing my eyes. Coughing, I rouse their attention - albeit briefly, since Vert seems intent on focusing on Iffy now - as I start, "Shall we recommence the discussion regarding that woman… Arflower?"

"Ar _foire_ , Neptune. Yes, we ought to," Vert remarks, running a hand through Iffy's hair, snuggling her tighter against herself. That looks comfortable to do…

"Eh?" Black Heart's eyes seem to clear from thought, her blush leaving her face as she straightens her posture, clicking her tongue at my determination to keep ahold of her. "That's the old hag's name in all of this? Arfoire?"

"Yes, Arfoil," I answer her promptly, nodding.

"Alright, fair enough. So, did she come here to enlist you?" she asks, tilting her head while eyeing Vert skeptically. She really does not trust her, does she? I squeeze her arm, and she shifts her attention to me, shaking her head. "I'm merely trying to grasp the situation, Purple. I refuse to let it be water wholly under the bridge until we milk the situation dry of all information we can gather."

"Yes, let us milk it~," Vert adds, and Black Heart glares at her. Chuckling, Vert threads her fingers together in Iffy's lap, who sits in a slight daze, starting, "Arfoire arrived much earlier this day, stating that she wishes to rightfully crown myself on the throne of Goddess while also telling me that you two would be coming to invade Leanbox later today to eliminate me, permanently."

"And was that it? A random stranger appears, spouting off some random crap to you that is _exactly_ what you want to hear, telling you to help kill us? Something _that_ simple merited putting your weapons at my back? Do tell me you aren't _that_ dumb, Green Heart. I heard that large-breasted women are often airheaded and slow-witted, but…," Black Heart retorts venomously, smirking. Vert's eyes narrow on her form, and her smirk darkens. "Perhaps you might be the one to lower the bar further."

"Ladies, please," I interject, noting the air of tension as I pull Black Heart into my lap, watching as she yelps and Vert covers her mouth, sneering. Tightening my arms around her waist, I firmly trap her while keeping my eyes set on Vert. "Do forgive her for her hostility, Vert. I suspect she has had a far more troubling day than we have, and, well, you know Blacky's personality well enough by now."

"W-what the hell is that supposed to mean, Purple? And _why_ are you holding onto me like this?!"

"...Yes, I suppose I forgot that for a moment, considering how well you have tamed her," Vert remarks, thoroughly amused. Excellent, I seem to have alleviated the tension, temporarily at least.

" _I am not tamed! I'm being molested against my will!_ "

"So, shall we continue?" I say, hoping to redirect the conversation back on track. "You said that Arboil came here and wished to enlist your cooperation, but what did she do, then?"

Vert brushes some hair from her forehead, toying with Iffy's hands absentmindedly. "She stated she had other responsibilities, such as plotting to waylay you to avoid your attack on Leanbox. She told me she would utilize some monsters; being some contracted spirits and ghastly creatures, not _dragons_ , to ambush you in the skies and hopefully weaken you to where I would be waiting by the edge of the continent, poised to strike with my strongest ally here, my wonderful Iffy."

"A fair strategy - so she anticipated our movements that far in advance…," I say, noting Black Heart's struggling has ceased as she sighs, shaking her head.

"That's not very difficult, since our choices thus far were the most logical. Simply, she attempted to pit Green Heart against us after inconveniencing us in the skies, hoping we'd wipe each other out. Typical basic strategy, really. Don't give her any more credit than that. The more important topic," she pauses, narrowing her eyes on Vert once more as she settles her arms on her lap, attempting to sit primly, "where has the hag gone now, Green Heart?"

Vert smiles sadly, as if she anticipated this question. "I am afraid I am of no use in answering that, Black Heart. She told me that she would be working on a project in sabotaging Lastation after this…"

Black Heart immediately attempts to sit up, struggling in aggravation as I maintain a firm grip on her, and I wince in discomfort as she puts her all into escaping. "Pur- _ple_ , let me go now. My city is in danger, and I need to get back to her immediately."

"You would only manage to put Lastation at a bigger disadvantage if you rush in by yourself, especially considering…," I pause, nuzzling her shoulder as she freezes, wincing, "...you are rather harshly injured." I just realized, once more, that her outfit is different from her combat suit. No wonder her thighs have been easily squished against my lap, though, she _did_ remember to buy underwear alongside this strange attire, did she not…? A rather distracting thought, even for one such as myself. "You need to stay calm and composed - I will accompany you after we finish this conversation and attend to your wounds properly."

" _We?_ What the hell are you going to do to help dress my wounds?" she remarks, and I smirk at her, winking playfully as her jaw drops. "Aa… n-n-no, I am perfectly c-capable of handling things _myself_ , thank you. I-in fact, I wouldn't mind getting back to my seat, now…"

" _Nnnope!~_ " I chirp, snuggling her closer as I rest my head on her other shoulder, her hair tickling me slightly. I can see why Vert does this - this is rather comfortable, and good for one's spirits.

"...Never in my life would I have expected I would see a scene such as this. Two Goddesses, the most bitter of rivals to rival even White Heart and I, and to see Black Heart subdued to such an extent… I would have always expected Black Heart to be a dominant, though perhaps Neptune makes for a better dominant. How peculiar…"

"I… I hate you both," Black Heart mutters, sighing into her hands. "Can we just… please get back to focus so I can be released, please?"

"Perhaps, but perhaps I should ask for a camera to frame photos of this scene," Vert remarks, smirking as Black shoots her a deathly glare. "I jest, I jest. Regardless, what else must we focus on?"

I narrow my eyes, smiling as I lean up, trying to bring my head past Black Heart's as I squish against her, leaning on her for support. "I wish to discuss the possibility of an alliance between the three of us."

Silence, save for Black Heart's squirming.

Vert's face, now heavily serious, sighs as she crosses her arms in Iffy's lap, looking away in thought. Iffy seems aware of the current tone of the situation as she awakes with a start, taking note of Vert's expression as she frowns, shifting her attention to us. "You popped the alliance question, then…?" she blinks, tilting her head. "Wow, I didn't see you two sitting like _that_."

"It's… not by choice," Black mutters. Straightening her posture, she centers her eyes on Vert. "Your silence can be taken either as a sign of declination, or perhaps you are weighing something out. You will have to tell us for us to understand, Green Heart."

"Yes, yes, I know," she grumbles, sighing as she tightens her hands together. "I'm simply unsure of how to respond. May I ask for more time to consider this proposal? It's a little…"

"Surreal, isn't it? That we'd be here, talking like this, with Purple's insistence that we stop fighting."

"...Yes, that is an adequate way of putting it, albeit lightly. You seem to have had a hard time fully adjusting, as well, then, Black Heart…?"

She nods, glancing down at me as she wiggles in my lap, squishing herself against me as I gasp, narrowing my eyes at her. She wouldn't dare start with her perverted behavior now…! "I still have yet to adjust, and admittedly, it still feels pretty damn dreamlike - or maybe nightmarish, sometimes. Though, it somehow feels alright, and I'm learning that maybe, all four of us have more in common than I first thought - well, save chest-size and feminine appeal in general, of course," she adds, causing both she and Vert to chuckle. She subtly presses her thighs against mine, and I wince with a strange emotion welling inside me, "But, being around this idiot has taught me that there's more to what we are as Goddesses than just fighting, and I just wanted to tell you, that maybe, _juuust_ maybe, we actually could probably be decent friends if we tossed aside this misconception that we don't have the same circumstances of wanting to support our cities as best we can."

"A rather compelling statement, Black Heart, but I still do need some time to consider it all. Plus, if we were to throw in our cooperation, we may cause Lowee to collapse wholly."

"I already considered that, and was going to say that holding off on a formal declaration might be for the best, regardless. Still, I wanted to let you know that I'm willing to try and make amends and start over if you are, Green Heart. Hopefully, we can talk again in the future, instead of trying to cut each other down, or some sentimental crap like that. This isn't me, honestly," she grumbles, stretching backward, sliding her nails gently along my legs. Stop it…! "But, I'll give it a shot since this idiot won't let me go if I say I have no intentions of cooperating. You should have _seen_ what she tried to do to me when we landed in Planeptune." Eh? She wouldn't… "Or while we were in an elevator together…" _She would!_ My face flushes scarlet as I stare at her in horror.

" _Sssstop it! I did no such thing! They were accidents!_ "

Vert gasps, holding a hand to her mouth, smirking. "I didn't know Purple Heart was such a _deviant_ underneath that serious and trusting face. I wish you the best luck possible, Black Heart. Hopefully you will retain your chastity for at least a few more days…"

"Noo… she was the one who…"

"Yes, I intend to keep trying to keep her at bay until she _really_ starts acting like the pervert that she is, and then she'll… _Aaah!_ H-hey… aah…," she trails off as I blow gently into her ear, her entire body jumping and shifting at once as she turns her head, her eyes widening. "S-stop that, Purple… aah… not in front of everyone, you pervert…"

"W- _what?!_ This was only to…!" I start as she uses the confusion to pry herself from my grip, jumping to her feet as she staggers away, clasping her arms over herself protectively. I raise my hands in an attempt to show I mean no harm, looking from each of the wickedly amused faces. "I only wanted to…!"

"Truly, Purple Heart is far from the _angel_ we thought her. What a _brilliant pervert_ ," Vert remarks.

"She is far from the _holy, chaste maiden_ that she says she is. She just wouldn't let go of me…!" Black Heart adds.

"...Lady Purple Heart, you're really kind of _lewd_ ," Iffy finishes as I ball my hands, standing up as my lip trembles in anger.

"E _nough!_ "

 **[A while later]**

"Still upset, Purple?"

She tries to race after me to catch up, but I only walk faster when she tries to, ensuring I don't have to look at her as I sulk. She grumbles in exasperation, trying again, and again, and again as we walk through the bewildered crowds of Leanbox to spend time at the inn that the vile Black Heart said she had already acquired from first arriving here.

"Hey, come on, it wasn't as bad as you're acting. Not like what you do to me, at least."

"Hmph," I answer, folding my arms before me while huffing, pouting angrily. My image is being corroded by misunderstandings and teasing stemming from Black Heart, and it's horrid. "You're cruel."

"And you're actually a massive pervert. Great, we established something. Can we get back to talking now?" she remarks, and I feel my emotions flare as I pivot on my heel, turning to glare at her icily.

" _You're_ the massive pervert. I'm no such thing, and I'd appreciate you don't embarrass and label me as such whenever we're in front of others! It's so… rude!" I say, thrusting my fists at the ground in annoyance.

"Oh, _I'm_ the one embarrassing _you_? Pfft, get real. _Think_ about what you've done to me lately. Any of it describable as anything _but_ you teasing and tormenting me?" she argues as she approaches, folding her arms now.

" _All_ of it is entirely wholesome! You are simply an extreme pervert, and you are exceptionally _lewd,_ " I counter, narrowing my eyes.

"I don't appreciate you playing judge, jury, and executioner like this is a one-sided trial. Look in a mirror, Lecher Heart - you're no chaste maiden!" she retorts, brushing away some hair while rolling her eyes.

" _That was your fault for constantly moving!_ "

"Oh? What the hell… _ah!_ We said not to talk about that, and it was _not_ my fault. You just suck at landing." Her statement is flat, accusatory, and decisive.

"Goddess, you are insufferably stubborn!" I shout, getting genuinely irritated.

"So are you!"

"I… ugh," I exhale, shaking my head as I drum my fingers on my leg, thinking for a moment while I recompose myself. "Perhaps we should spend tonight silently."

"Oh?" she responds, her tone suddenly _far_ different from before. She smirks, shrugging. "If that's what you think, fine. Come on, I'll get us to the room."

"Thank you. I need to clear my head."

She leads me down the streets, the two of us ignoring those around us as she fiddles quietly with her hair while I watch her from behind, tilting my head. She is as meticulous as I tend to be, perhaps even more so, considering her amount of fretting over split ends and dryness as we walk. She glances back at me now and then, and I roll my eyes tiredly, and then she returns to fixing her outfit and hair.

Goddess, I need a shower. Though, I suppose she does, as well. I forgot to take one in Planeptune, and she has been in the wilderness. Perhaps raising my voice and getting annoyed with her was wrong of me. Her back suddenly seems so far away…

"Hey, here we are," she stops suddenly, pointing to what seems to be a generic tavern-inn, and as I look around, she snaps her fingers. "Don't check out the atmosphere, it makes it... strange. Instead, come on." I nod silently, following her in as she waves to the red-headed girl at the counter. "Hey, Falcom. Mission complete, we're heading to sleep now."

"Understood, Lady Black Heart. Excellent work. And, good evening and good tidings, Lady Purple Heart," she bows her head to us, and I do the same, smiling softly at her. What a pleasant woman.

Ascending the small stairwell, Black Heart leads us to the room, opening it while ushering me inside, her face still unreadably odd. I wonder what she is thinking about. Upon entering, I notice the simplicity of the room truly fits the establishment's image, but more importantly… "...That's a double bed."

"Yes, indeed, it is. Someone'll have to take the floor or we're going to have to sleep together," she points out flatly, nodding. "Bathroom's over there if you need it," she says, motioning while moving to shut and cover the window for the night, stretching. "You alright to sleep?" she says, pacing about the room. She seems hesitant… why?

"I… should be. I might take a shower first, perhaps, or a bath. I feel somewhat unclean from all of today's lengthy events. It does not even feel like a single day anymore."

"Because… it apparently isn't. It's past midnight now, if this stupid clock's right. 2:42, huh," she states, eyeing some small radio on the edge of the desk. "Must be a gift from Falcom. Well, at least it helps with time management."

"Yes, it will suffice for a few hours' worth of rest, I suppose," I respond in an attempt to make small-talk despite feeling somewhat frustrated at her. "Though…"

"Hm?" She glances over to me, cocking her head as her eyes wander over me, and she blinks. "Oh, embarrassed? Fair enough, uhh…," she stands up, turning away while sitting on the floor, leaning back onto her hands. "I'll keep my face this way, so go ahead and do what you have to do and go hit the bathroom. I have a lot on my mind, anyway."

"...Thank you, Black Heart," I remark, smiling softly at her. She coughs, shrugging.

After a few long minutes of awkward silence, her voice pierces the quiet. "Ah, uh, um… I'd appreciate it if you used nicknames more than just 'Black Heart.' You kept using Green Heart's name, and gave IF a nickname, but you always double back on mine."

"So do you," I say frankly, and she sighs, sitting up while toying with some of her hair once more. She seems intent on this, so perhaps… "Alright, I will make an effort, then."

"...Cool. Alright, go ahead and do your thing, this is getting kind of awkward," she concludes, waving a hand at me. "I'm not going to admire this wall's craftsmanship forever, you know."

"...Aah… yes, I suppose you're right. Alright, pardon me," I state, nervously shifting as I begin removing the various parts of my suit, feeling the cool air of the room rubbing against my skin. I sigh, somewhat pleased already by the sudden freeing feeling, stretching. "Perhaps normal clothes sound more pleasant after all is said and done. This sensation is…"

"Wonderful, right? I'll bet."

I nod quietly, checking over myself for any possible scratches or cuts, staring softly at Black Heart's back. She is closer, now. Not by much, but things are… better, I suppose I could say. "Hey, Black?"

"Yeah, Purple?" Her voice is gentle, warm, and utterly abnormal compared to her usual demeanor. It's startling, but not off-putting.

"Thank you for looking for me, even if I was alright. And… thank you, for surviving, despite the circumstances, and perhaps, thank you for…"

"Ah, hell, shut up and go wash up. I got it already, I'm good, Purple. Things are fine here. You're welcome," she grumbles, cutting me off. I smile, making a sound of understanding as I excuse myself and she nods. "Good. I'm gonna' lay back and close my eyes for now."

"Understood!" I call, pulling the curtain to the shower-tub as I glance about. It's a little confined, but it fits two people. I wonder what she meant about this place's atmosphere? Is there something wrong about this place? I couldn't really tell - it's too dark.

Oh well. I turn the knob to start the water flowing, sighing as I undo the braids in my hair, setting my hair ties off to the side to avoid them getting wet as I run my fingers through my sweat-matted hair. Now and then, as I begin indulging in the water's deafening sounds and warmth, I swear I hear gentle sounds coming from the other room, but perhaps it is just my imagination.

 **[A lengthy shower full of Purple Heart fanservice later]**

Newly renewed and comfortable, I yawn and stretch as I turn the water off, tugging away the curtain while stepping out onto a small mat to catch the water falling from my body. Grabbing a towel off of the rack between the sink and tub, I quickly rub myself down before working at drying my hair off, deciding to then wrap the towel around myself until I get back into my suit. Or should I simply go with normal clothing? It _is_ somewhat dirty, but then, that would require Black Heart having to find me something, which may be rude.

Stepping gingerly from the bathroom, I find Black Heart lazily leaning back in the chair, her eyes focused up to the ceiling as she gently kicks off the side of the desk absentmindedly. Her hair is sandwiched between her back and the chair, and her hands just dangle from her shoulders. She seems focused, yet so distantly oblivious that she looks adorably helpless. Her expression is grim, however, and I wonder if she's alright. Glancing down, I notice my suit has moved to be sorted neatly onto the edge of the desk, likely a result from her exceptionally tidy nature, and I smile. She is a lot more hospitable and kind than I have always considered her, isn't she?

"Thank you, Noire," I say softly, watching her ears twitch as she blinks, shifting her attention over to me. She nods, waving a hand absentmindedly at me as she kicks off from the desk again, balancing on the back legs of the chair. "The bathroom is now usable if you so wish."

"Alright, cool. I'll get to it in a minute, I guess," she mumbles, sighing as she runs a hand through her hair. Frowning, she grumbles while prying off the outfit's sleeves and boots, yawning. Leaning back again, her vision goes cloudy again as she delves into thought, and she huffs. "Hey, Purple."

"...Yes, Black?"

"What do you think about love?" she asks, sighing.

I raise an eyebrow, moving to set myself on the edge of the bed, checking my towel to ensure it's staying up as I emit a sound of wonder. "It sounds like something truly wonderful, yet somewhat intimidating at the same time. Though, I am not particularly sure whether or not we, as CPUs, will ever feel it. It strikes me as a human emotion…"

"...Yeah, I can tell you that that's incorrect, actually. I'm pretty sure I'm in love, as a matter of fact," she admits begrudgingly, grumbling incoherently as she raises a hand toward our light, spreading her fingers. "And I don't know if it's all that great, or if it's honestly the worst thing I've ever faced. It really sort of feels like the latter."

My heart suddenly makes itself startlingly aware in my chest, and I blink in surprise. She is… in love? That is rather peculiar in of itself. When would she have been able to fall for someone…? Or was it a time before this journey even began, possibly? Vert? IF? "What do you… mean, per-say? I don't believe I understand."

"I'm… ugh, I don't even know why I brought it up. I'm just asking you to try and confirm what I'm feeling. I shouldn't really have expected it to turn out well, so I'll just drop it. I'm going to go grab that shower now, I think," she says, her voice suddenly exceptionally monotone and… empty. She rises from the chair, stretching as she yawns. "I'll probably take the floor tonight, or just sleep in that chair since it feels decent enough. You may as well try to get some rest while you can; I'll keep an eye out for anything dangerous. G'night, Purple," she informs me, slipping into the bathroom as the water starts running, leaving me to sit in befuddlement.

Did I just miss something, by chance? I don't… honestly know. Perhaps I must have overlooked something today, however; I do wish my heart would settle down - this harsh beating is obnoxiously distracting from our current priorities. Sighing, I run my hands through my hair, carelessly now that I am technically alone for the moment, allowing the towel to fall as I glance toward my hair, and then the door. I might've left my ties in there, now that I think of it. Though, disturbing her now feels… wrong. Perhaps I will retrieve them in the morning, or something along those lines.

...Why does this, and why do I feel so… incomplete?

 **[By the morning's first light, around six-thirty]**

Rustling about the room draws me to my senses as my eyes slowly flutter open tiredly, and I yawn in annoyance, my body willing me exceptionally to return to slumber. I slept so poorly and for so short a time, this feels agonizing. Slowly lifting myself from the sheets, I rub my eye, trying to recall what happened last night. I recall watching Black Heart enter the shower after a strange conversation, and then I sat… did I simply pass out?

"Ah, you're… up. Good morning, Purple. Go get something to wear, or something. We ought to get moving soon," Black Heart greets me robotically, nodding. "Ah, here, your suit," she adds, tossing it at the bed as she pulls her suit over her arm carefully, inspecting some bandages. "Ugh, that's still smarting, but I guess I'll live," she mutters, sighing.

Blinking, I look down at myself and notice that I am stark naked. Exhaling, I flush red and nod, standing up to tug on my outfit while leaning against the bed, yawning once more. "Good… morning, Black. Did you… sleep well?"

"...Hm?" Glancing over at me, she pauses from what she had been doing - stuffing items into a pouch, it seems - as she closes her eyes, breathing. "...Yeah, I slept alright. Could be better, but I'll be fine if I can make it to Lastation and finally catch some shut-eye there. Need help getting ready or something, or are you good?"

"Uh…," I frown, sensing something is vitally wrong, but I can't really tell at the moment. Damn it, my heart is beginning to inconvenience me again. "I should be alright. What else do we need to bring, would you say?"

"I already stopped by the stores nearby and picked up a few essentials in case we get stuck out in the forest or alone and wounded again. I'm just currently making up your makeshift kit now, trying to figure out a way to fit everything. Ah, and here," she pauses, passing me my hair ties before she continues rummaging in the small belt of pouches. "You passed out on the bed like a log last night, probably after I went in to shower. You left those in there, so I grabbed them and held onto them until the morning. Might want to be more careful where you sleep nude, Purple," she teases, smirking.

I narrow my eyes, squinting at her while sticking out my tongue, shaking my head. "It was an unavoidable matter, since I had apparently been in dire need of rest. Now… are you alright?" She freezes, her eyes shifting onto me, their contents unreadable. "You have been rather off recently."

"I'm fine, I just finally made a few agreements and confirmations within myself. I'm good to go, so stop asking, alright?" she responds, but her tone denies her words. I open my mouth to point this out, and she shoots me an icy stare. "Stop. Asking. Alright?"

"...If you insist. How will we travel from Leanbox to Lastation?"

"Probably fly, or something. I don't trust Green Heart enough to borrow one of her aerocraft at the moment, and my shares are at least high enough to finish this trip if it continues without too many more inconveniences."

"Surely, Vert might be kind enough to spare…"

" _I don't trust her, alright, Purple Heart? You can do_ _ **whatever**_ _you want, but I'm doing things my way, again,_ " she states coldly, her hands tightening on the pouch as she frowns. Her eyes shake, and I suddenly notice the excessive bags under her eyes. She didn't…? "You know what? Fine, I'm... I'm going on ahead. You can make the trip however you damn well please, but I can't afford to continue risking my life and Lastation's future on you. I tried, alright? Just... go enlist her help for your trip to Lowee now, or something," she shouts angrily as she closes the pouch, zipping it up. Stepping back, she nods to me. "I'll see you around. I can't keep this up, anymore. _You_ really are my worst enemy."

And then, she departs. Simply, wholly, and utterly, she departs through the door without another word or a chance for me to react, with tears in her eyes and a shaky posture, leaving me alone in the room with both the key and the pouch sitting together on the desk, my suit pulled up to around my lower half, my ties set in my palm, and my expression fully dumbfounded.

What have I done, I wonder? I cannot pretend that this matter is not directly related to me, I suppose. Think, Neptune, _think._ A distrust for Leanbox… too superficial. Our argument in the plane… it was never even hinted upon. Her treatment by Vert versus my treatment by Vert… it didn't seem to exceptionally faze her after we focused on our discussion. Her talk of love… seems to be the most likely source. This leaves three possibilities, since this has only occurred now, after our journey has begun - she has affection for someone she met here, but it did not work out, or that she has sought my help sorting out her feelings, and I failed to address or help her, or… perhaps? Perhaps… she directed that conversation toward… me?

Thinking logically, her behavior in response to me is far different than her behavior in response to IF, Vert, or others that have come and gone around her - at least, that I have been able to tell. She is softer, more outspoken, more easily flustered, and more… pushy, I suppose one could say, when with me compared to others. I chalked it up as simply us teasing one another for the sake of doing so, but could she have held a deeper meaning in it than I? But she was so utterly set on denying the possible implications of my actions toward her?

I sigh. She makes no sense, though perhaps I am correct - perhaps… she was attempting to discern how I felt of her, and I crushed her, utterly, whether intentional or not. Frowning, I pull on my suit fully, fixing it as I grab the belt of pouches, slipping it around my waist, and then the key as I make my way downstairs. Turning my attention to some blonde-haired girl at the counter, she nods politely as I set the keys down. "Did a white-haired girl just pass through here?"

"Yes, she did, ma'am. She departed in quite a hurry, even without allowing me to wish her well. It was quite odd - is something wrong?"

I shake my head. "Nothing to concern you with. We are checking out now, though. I must be brief as well, but I wish you well. Farewell," I quickly blurt out, pivoting on my heel as I proceed through the door and look around.

Already devoid of any signs of her. Now that I can see, I notice that this place is a district for couples. How… oddly fitting, in a strange way. Biting my lip, I peer about and check with the townsfolk gathered, but no one has seen her. Did she immediately take to the skies after exiting the building? Engaging my flight systems, I float upward and squint in an attempt to observe the horizon… and a small black speck is already hurtling away. As efficient as always, Black Heart. Lowering myself back to the ground, I sigh, running a hand through my hair as I notice that I never added my ties, frowning. They sit in my hand, somewhat unimportant suddenly, and I muse over whether or not I ought to pursue her. Bridging the gap between Planeptune and Lastation in serious reality is highly important, so I ought to depart there, but… does this mean our alliance has fallen through?

No, I doubt it. Her pride would prevent her from interfering in a political decision simply out of her own emotions. Perhaps there is still time to remedy this error and possibly reach a more decisive conclusion. Though, what would I even tell her? 'Hey, do you possibly love me?' And what if she says yes? How do I respond to something like that? Do I care for her, too?

Difficult queries, and the subject of my mind being somewhat muddled with worry and questions is flying away at exceptional speeds. I ought to hurry to find her, since she will make locating her difficult even if I had her in front of me from the beginning.

Emotions… What a fickle concept. Though… Purple and white might look decent when put together. Wait a minute, can women legally be together? Ah, and she covered me after I had fallen asleep, and allowed me to… Goddess, applying love to what has occurred to now...

...Why am I blushing over all of this? No… it couldn't… be? It… might.

Sighing, I frown as I take to the skies, now moving to pursue her, in all of her nonsensical behavior. For better or for worse, I must speak to her another time.

* * *

 **I maaay have been in a short funk towards this latter part. Temporarily, mind you. It was going to go all possibly lemony smutty wonder, but then I thought, 'that's like, the least canon thing possible, and Black Heart would possibly chicken out,' and so she did. And then, like a good lovestruck tsundere, she began to really question whether things are as she sees them, or if they were one-sided. Turns out, they were pretty much the latter until... maybe never! Who knows, with Purple Heart?**

 **I still had fun writing this. It's going the way I expected it to, just with a little sudden improvisation along the way since... you didn't want them to get together now, did you? Like, why would we _ever_ want PH and BH to be a thing? Just like IF and CH make in the games, it's totally platonic. Yeah, really! Definitely, especially in the Megatagmension, even the non-canon story, where Noire voluntarily agrees to do some romancey goodness with Neptune, it's  totally platonic.**

aka neptunia's legitimate story writers make me sad but hey i guess we'll all just continue dreaming

I might add more to my one-shots later though. Saw some new fanart, played around with a couple ideas, and even had a few stem from this story. Might go off on a binge there later for a bit too. Hope you all don't mind too much.

Anyway, Tainted out.~


End file.
